used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
additionaladjectiveUS /əˈdɪʃənəl/
further or added
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
for the reason that
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
bellboynounUS /ˈbelbɔɪ/
someone employed as an errand boy and luggage carrier around hotels
From this reading The bellboy handed him a telegram.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
centsnounUS /sents/
plural of “cent” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
chargesnounUS /ˈtʃɑːrdʒəz/
plural of “charge” — an impetuous rush toward someone or something
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
cheerfullyadverbUS /ˈtʃɪrfəli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
clearnessnounUS /ˈklɪrnəs/
free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
consideratelyadverb
in a considerate manner
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
the process of giving careful thought to something
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
divisible by two
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
every person
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
faithfullyadverbUS /ˈfeɪθfəli/
in a faithful manner
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
forty-oneadjective
being one more than forty
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
frownedverbUS /fraʊnd/
past form of “frown” — look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading The bellboy handed him a telegram.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The bellboy handed him a telegram.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
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 When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
Mabel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
Mabel's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
a person who carries a message
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
misspelledverbUS /mɪsˈspeld/
past form of “misspell” — spell incorrectly
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
not any; not one
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
the middle of the day
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
periodsnounUS /ˈpɪriədz/
plural of “period” — an amount of time
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
prolongedadjectiveUS /prəˈlɔːŋd/
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
established beyond doubt
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
punctuatedverbUS /ˈpʌŋktʃuːeɪtɪd/
past form of “punctuate” — insert punctuation marks into
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
punctuationnounUS /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/
something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
rappingverbUS /ˈræpɪŋ/
inflected form of “rap” — strike sharply
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
responsenounUS /rɪˈspɑːns/
a result
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
sultryadjectiveUS /ˈsʌltri/
sexually exciting or gratifying
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
SurprisesnounUS /sərˈpraɪzɪz/
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
carry out
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
telegramnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading The bellboy handed him a telegram.
telegramsnounUS /ˈteləɡræmz/
plural of “telegram” — a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
in or at that place or location
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
transmittedadjectiveUS /trænˈsmɪtɪd/
occurring among members of a family usually by heredity
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
tuckedadjectiveUS /tʌkt/
having tucked or being tucked
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
precisely as stated
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
at the time that
From this reading When Mr. Black had read the long message he smiled and frowned, but cheerfully paid the three dollars and forty-one cents additional charges that the messenger demanded.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Several Surprises Take Effect Mr. Black opened the door of his hotel apartment in Washington one sultry noon in response to a vigorous, prolonged rapping from without.
the words that are spoken
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If the receiving clerk had not considerately tucked in a few periods for the sake of clearness, there would have been no punctuation marks, because, as everybody knows, very few telegrams _are_ punctuated; but Mabel, of course, had not taken that into consideration.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading It was Mabel's message; the clerk had transmitted it faithfully, even to the two misspelled words that had proved too much for the excited little writer.
