used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
BellenounUS /bel/
a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
Boisingham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But with Belle his relations remained as strained as ever.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
at any time
From this reading But with Belle his relations remained as strained as ever.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
set up or found
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
HAVEauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
held up in the air
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
for more time
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
not any; not one
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
persecutionnounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈkjuːʃən/
the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
QuestnounUS /kwest/
a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups
From this reading But with Belle his relations remained as strained as ever.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But with Belle his relations remained as strained as ever.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading But with Belle his relations remained as strained as ever.
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/
thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “WHAT SOME HAVE FOUND SO SWEET” Time went on.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Mr. Quest had been back at Boisingham for ten days or more, and was more cheerful than Belle (we can no longer call her his wife) had seen him for many a day.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But with Belle his relations remained as strained as ever.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He had taken a great and terrible decision and had acted upon it, and it had been successful, for he knew that his evil genius was so thoroughly terrified that for a long while at least he would be free from her persecution.
a late time of life
From this reading Indeed he felt as though ten years had been lifted off his back.
