Chapter IV · Missing

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

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

later than; following

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

(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 None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

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

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

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

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

an occurrence of something

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

a slight indication

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

plural of “clue” — a slight indication

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

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

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

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

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

plural of “diamond” — a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

an exasperated feeling of annoyance

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

bringing death

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

set up or found

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

a high ranking police officer

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

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 clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

not any; not one

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

not one, and not any

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

an insignificant place

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

according to the clock

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

past form of “obtain” — come into possession of

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

inflected form of “omit” — prevent from being included or considered or accepted

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

not taken into account

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

showing possibility of achievement or excellence

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

systematic investigation to establish facts

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

possessing material wealth

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

in a satisfactory manner

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

not often

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He had seldom found himself up against so baffling a problem.

a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

happening unexpectedly

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

plural of “suspect” — someone who is under suspicion

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

in or at that place or location

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading The clues he had obtained looked promising enough, but—they led nowhere.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

position 1,000 in a countable series of things

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading None of the stolen notes had reached the bank, nor had any of the diamonds come on the market; no one in whom he was interested had become suddenly rich, and all his possible suspects were able more or less satisfactorily to account for their time on the fatal evening.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.

showing curiosity

From this reading ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

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 ABOUT ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth day after the murder of Charles Gething, Inspector French sat in his room at New Scotland Yard wondering for the thousandth time if there was no clue in the affair which he had overlooked, no line of research which he had omitted to follow up.

but in spite of that

From this reading Though from the nature of the case, as he told himself with exasperation, a solution should be easily reached, yet he could find nothing to go on.