used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Some information about the case had come in.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
awaitingverbUS /əˈweɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
an occurrence of something
From this reading Some information about the case had come in.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Some information about the case had come in.
past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
hopefuladjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpfəl/
having or manifesting hope
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Some information about the case had come in.
a message received and understood
From this reading Some information about the case had come in.
INSPECTORnounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/
a high ranking police officer
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
a brief written record
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
on one occasion
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
previouslyadverbUS /ˈpriːviəsli/
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Cheerful and hopeful, he set off and in a few minutes was once more seated in his office.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some information about the case had come in.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
at the time that
From this reading INSPECTOR FRENCH had not quite finished supper that evening when his telephone bell rang.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There a note was awaiting him, which had been delivered by hand a short time previously.
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 He was wanted back at the Yard immediately.
