used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
announcementnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/
a formal public statement
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
blood-curdling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You blood-curdling woman,” said Riatt.
Christine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
crueltynounUS /ˈkruːlti/
a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
deceiveverbUS /dɪˈsiːv/
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
fakenounUS /feɪk/
something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
not fake or counterfeit
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
the act of departing
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
Hickson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
engage in
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
used to form the superlative
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
and nothing more
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading Christine paused.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
Riatt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
Identical; not different.
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
supremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/
final or last in your life or progress
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
thoughtfullyadverbUS /ˈθɔːtfəli/
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
triumphaladjectiveUS /traɪˈʌmfəl/
relating to or celebrating a triumph
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
in or at the place that
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As they went down the stairs--those same stairs on which only two evenings before they had first met--toward the drawing-room where their great announcement was to be made, Riatt stopped Christine in her triumphal progress.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “You blood-curdling woman,” said Riatt.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I wonder,” she answered thoughtfully, “which in the end would deceive him most--to make him think it was real or fake?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You blood-curdling woman,” said Riatt.
You're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You’re not going to have the supreme cruelty,” he said, “to let poor Hickson think that our engagement is a genuine one?”
