Chapter V · How Cheong-Chau Struck at Dead of Night

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

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

(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 Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

having life or vigor or spirit

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

a job in an organization

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

a youthful male person

From this reading The boy had taken some time to climb down the mountain-side.

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

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading The boy had taken some time to climb down the mountain-side.

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The boy had taken some time to climb down the mountain-side.

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

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

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

set up or found

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

plural of “four” — the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

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

From this reading The boy had taken some time to climb down the mountain-side.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading He lost no time in relating to his uncle all that he had seen.

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

From this reading The boy had taken some time to climb down the mountain-side.

a form of address for a man

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

easily agitated

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

not any; not one

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

under a moral obligation to do something

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

-ing form of “relate” — make a logical or causal connection

From this reading He lost no time in relating to his uncle all that he had seen.

plural of “resource” — available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

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

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He lost no time in relating to his uncle all that he had seen.

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

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

From this reading The boy had taken some time to climb down the mountain-side.

to a small degree or extent

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

in a stealthy manner

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading The judge was somewhat surprised, but he did not show any signs of being nervous.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading The boy had taken some time to climb down the mountain-side.

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

not subjected to tapping

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

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

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

in or at the place that

From this reading It was late by the time Frank returned to the temple, where he found his uncle and Mr Waldron engaged in an animated discussion upon the subject of the untapped resources of China.

which person or people

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

hope for; have a wish

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Having no wish to fall into the hands of the scarlet-coated band who had descended into the valley to the south, he had given the bridle-path a wide berth, with the result that he had been obliged to go down upon all fours, and descend stealthily foot by foot.