used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A BRUTE IN HUMAN SHAPE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading "I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
BRUTEnounUS /bruːt/
a cruelly rapacious person
From this reading A BRUTE IN HUMAN SHAPE.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
criticaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
divulgedverbUS /dɪˈvʌldʒd/
past form of “divulge” — make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.
extortverbUS /ekˈstɔːrt/
obtain through intimidation
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
HUMANadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading A BRUTE IN HUMAN SHAPE.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading "Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A BRUTE IN HUMAN SHAPE.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
JaspernounUS /ˈdʒæspər/
an opaque form of quartz; red or yellow or brown or dark green in color; used for ornamentation or as a gemstone
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
kidnapverbUS /ˈkɪdnæp/
take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.
measuresnounUS /ˈmeʒərz/
plural of “measure” — any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
on the contrary
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
scrupulousadjectiveUS /ˈskruːpjələs/
having scruples; arising from a sense of right and wrong; principled
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading A BRUTE IN HUMAN SHAPE.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.
precisely as stated
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
belonging to which person
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.
