Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

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

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

the criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force a family member; if a man's wife is abducted it is a crime against the family relationship and against the wife

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading It was in the air, it was mustering many women at the well.

(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 He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

plural of “apron” — a garment of cloth or leather or plastic that is tied about the waist and worn to protect your clothing

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

plural of “arch” — a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

weapons considered collectively

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

a distinct feature or element in a problem

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was in the air, it was mustering many women at the well.

a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the power or right to give orders or make decisions

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

plural of “close” — the temporal end; the concluding time

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

straying from the right course or from accepted standards

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

in an abundant manner

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

set up or found

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

assemble or get together

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

plural of “happening” — an event that happens

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

plural of “inn” — a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was in the air, it was mustering many women at the well.

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

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 had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the production of eggs (especially in birds)

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the act of tarrying

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

hear with intention

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

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 It was in the air, it was mustering many women at the well.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

a form of address for a man

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

-ing form of “muster” — gather or bring together

From this reading It was in the air, it was mustering many women at the well.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

above and across; more than

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

from appearances alone

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

in the near future

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

express in speech

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

English philosopher and sociologist who applied the theory of natural selection to human societies (1820-1903)

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

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

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

cut a female screw thread with a tap

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading At the door of the New Inns, Mr. Spencer was laying forth a theory of abduction.

in or at that place or location

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

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

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading It was in the air, it was mustering many women at the well.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

during the time that

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading That there was some unusual agitation in the town Gilian could gather as soon as he had set foot within the Arches in the early morning.

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading It was in the air, it was mustering many women at the well.

the words that are spoken

From this reading He had had English experience, he knew life; for the first time since he had come to this place of poor happenings he had found something he could speak upon with authority and an audience to listen with respect What his theory was, Gilian might have heard fully as he passed; but he was thinking of other things, and all that came to him were two or three words, and one of the errant sentences was seemingly about himself.

the covering (usually paper or cellophane) in which something is wrapped

From this reading There they stood in loud and lingering groups, their stoups running over extravagantly while they kept the tap running, unconscious what they were about Or they had a furtive aspect as they whispered in the closes, their aprons wrapping their folded arms.