used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/
for a short time
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
recognizable; marked
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I think not.
inquiringlyadverb
in an inquiring manner
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
inscrutableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈskruːtəbəl/
of an obscure nature
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
penetratingadjectiveUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
steppingverbUS /ˈstepɪŋ/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
stoepnoun
small porch or set of steps at the front entrance of a house
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
in a strange manner
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
summonsnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/
a request to be present
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I think not.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
treadverbUS /tred/
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are sure you were not followed?" he asked, as he drew a chair out from the table and seated himself.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And then the man he was thinking about arrived, and stepping up to the stoep with his firm, decided tread, stood before him, as he had stood on the night of their first meeting, looking at him inquiringly with those strangely penetrating, inscrutable grey eyes.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The other man rose without speaking, and led the way into the house, closing the French windows behind them as he had done before.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You sent for me," he said briefly, and waited to learn the reason of the summons.
