used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
assistantnounUS /əˈsɪstənt/
a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
a youthful male person
From this reading By-the-way, you must have met a boy as you came in.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
By-the-way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By-the-way, you must have met a boy as you came in.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading By-the-way, you must have met a boy as you came in.
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
a person who is in charge
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
cleanly-shaven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
clerksnounUS /klɜːrks/
plural of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
company'snounUS /ˈkʌmpəniz/
possessive form of “company” — an institution created to conduct business
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
Donald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
put on clothes
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
faultlessadjective
without fault or error
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
the act of departing
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
greetedverbUS /ˈɡriːtəd/
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading By-the-way, you must have met a boy as you came in.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
headquartersnounUS /ˈhedkwɔːrtərz/
(usually plural) the office that serves as the administrative center of an enterprise
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
Hilloa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading By-the-way, you must have met a boy as you came in.
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 Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading By-the-way, you must have met a boy as you came in.
Minturn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading By-the-way, you must have met a boy as you came in.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
noddingadjectiveUS /ˈnɑːdɪŋ/
having branches or flower heads that bend downward
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
only a very short time before
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
serpentnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading He was after a situation, and I was careless enough not to ask him his name.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
refrain from harming
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
superintendentnounUS /ˌsuːpərənˈtendənt/
a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
superintendent'snounUS /ˌsuːpərɪnˈtendənts/
possessive form of “superintendent” — a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
treacherousadjectiveUS /ˈtretʃərəs/
dangerously unstable and unpredictable
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
at the time that
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
which person or people
From this reading He was Donald Minturn, the assistant superintendent, who had a smile for every one, but as treacherous as the charm of the serpent.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Hilloa Minturn!" greeted his chief; "you are back sooner than I expected.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Scarcely had the youth left the railroad company's headquarters, when a tall, spare man, with faultless dress and cleanly-shaven face, entered the apartment, going straight to the superintendent's desk, smiling and nodding to the clerks as he passed them.
