used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
agentnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənt/
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
(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 This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
determine the number or amount of
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
DEVIL'SnounUS /ˈdevəlz/
possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “They told me you had gone to the station.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
ten 10s
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/
moving with great haste
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “They told me you had gone to the station.”
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
with speed
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
precisely, exactly
From this reading This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
express in speech
From this reading “I wish to speak to you.”
STAIRCASEnounUS /ˈsterkeɪs/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading “They told me you had gone to the station.”
stationwards
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They told me you had gone to the station.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This must be prevented at any cost, so I stopped him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “They told me you had gone to the station.”
in the direction of
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was all right, for it showed he was following me.
at the time that
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “I wish to speak to you.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading ON THE DEVIL’S STAIRCASE I had not walked three hundred yards towards the village when I met the police agent hurrying stationwards at a pace which would quickly bring him face to face with Count Peter and his companion.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I wish to speak to you.”
