adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
attirenounUS /əˈtaɪər/
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
Brinn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
chambersnounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbərz/
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
claspedverbUS /klæspt/
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
dreamyadjectiveUS /ˈdriːmi/
dreamy in mood or nature
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/
any strong feeling
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
expertadjectiveUS /ˈekspərt/
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/
well known or easily recognized
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
favoured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
featuresnounUS /ˈfiːtʃərz/
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
firmlyadverbUS /ˈfɜːrmli/
with resolute determination
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
fittingadjectiveUS /ˈfɪtɪŋ/
in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
gauntadjectiveUS /ɡɔːnt/
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
gazedverbUS /ɡeɪzd/
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
lack-lustre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/
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 His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
leftnounUS /left/
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
mouthnounUS /maʊθ/
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
Nicol
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
noonnounUS /nuːn/
the middle of the day
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
observedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvd/
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
overlookedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkt/
not taken into account
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
parknounUS /pɑːrk/
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
physiognomist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
Piccadilly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
prospectnounUS /ˈprɑːspekt/
the possibility of future success
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
regardnounUS /rɪˈɡɑːrd/
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
sallowadjective
unhealthy looking
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/
that is looked for
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
stoicnounUS /ˈstoʊɪk/
a member of the ancient Greek school of philosophy founded by Zeno
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
surveyedverbUS /sərˈveɪd/
past form of “survey” — consider in a comprehensive way
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
taciturnadjectiveUS /ˈtæsɪtɜːrn/
habitually reserved and uncommunicative
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
tracenounUS /treɪs/
a just detectable amount
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
unlightedadjective
not set afire or burning
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
vacantadjectiveUS /ˈveɪkənt/
void of intelligence or thought
From this reading His morning attire was at least as tightly fitting as that which he favoured in the evening, and now, hands clasped behind his back and an unlighted cigar held firmly in the left corner of his mouth, he gazed across the park with a dreamy and vacant regard.
vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading But for any trace of emotion in that stoic face the most expert physiognomist must have sought in vain.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading One very familiar with this strange and taciturn man might have observed that his sallow features looked even more gaunt than usual.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading From that large window which overlooked Piccadilly he surveyed the prospect with dull, lack-lustre eyes.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading It was close upon noon, but Nicol Brinn had not yet left his chambers.
