Chapter III · Chapter 3

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

a device that controls amount of light admitted

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

a sizeable hole (usually in the ground)

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

gotten under control

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions; resembling a spasm

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

bad; unfortunate

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

spoiled or ruined or demolished

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

opinion or judgment

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

enclose in or as if in a frame

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

coins made of gold

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

an opening into or through something

From this reading THE HOLE IN THE WALL.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

characteristic of humanity

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE HOLE IN THE WALL.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

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 As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

a thick flat pad used as a floor covering

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

a form of address for a man

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

past form of “procure” — get by special effort

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

separated in relationship by a given degree of descent

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

in the near future

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

possessing sweep

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE HOLE IN THE WALL.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

a shaky motion

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Had all the human beings upon the earth been suddenly destroyed before his eyes, the effect upon the miser could not have been more deplorable.

being of use or service

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading THE HOLE IN THE WALL.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.

at the time that

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed to touch the bags in which the gold was contained.

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading With convulsive energy, he felt in every part of the cavity; but the money had surely taken to itself wings and flown away.

in the company of; together with

From this reading As soon as Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore had left the house, Mr. Fairfield procured a case-knife,--for he was not the owner of so useful an implement as a screw-driver,--and, with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall.