used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
in the past
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
(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 He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
astuteadjectiveUS /əˈstuːt/
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There seemed to be nothing in this to encourage the southpaw.
Brennan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
brusqueadjectiveUS /brʌsk/
marked by rude or peremptory shortness
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
criticismsnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəmz/
plural of “criticism” — disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
cubnounUS /kʌb/
an awkward and inexperienced youth
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
encourageverbUS /enˈkɜːrɪdʒ/
contribute to the progress or growth of
From this reading There seemed to be nothing in this to encourage the southpaw.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
the act of giving
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
the act of departing
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
hurlingnounUS /ˈhɜːrlɪŋ/
a traditional Irish game resembling hockey; played by two teams of 15 players each
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
Jim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
conformity or harmony
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
LeftynounUS /ˈlefti/
a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
LockenounUS /lɑːk/
English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
mousenounUS /maʊs/
any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There seemed to be nothing in this to encourage the southpaw.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
on one occasion
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
pickingnounUS /ˈpɪkɪŋ/
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
pitchernounUS /ˈpɪtʃər/
(baseball) the person who does the pitching
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
proficientadjectiveUS /prɑːˈfɪʃənt/
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
PURLOINEDverbUS /pərˈlɔɪnd/
past form of “purloin” — make off with belongings of others
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
on the contrary
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There seemed to be nothing in this to encourage the southpaw.
superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
snappyadjectiveUS /ˈsnæpi/
apt to speak irritably
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
southpawnounUS /ˈsaʊθpaʊ/
a baseball pitcher who throws the ball with the left hand
From this reading There seemed to be nothing in this to encourage the southpaw.
express in words
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There seemed to be nothing in this to encourage the southpaw.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There seemed to be nothing in this to encourage the southpaw.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading That astute individual was thoroughly proficient in the art of keeping his thoughts to himself, and it was almost impossible for any one to guess what was going on in his mind.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
which person or people
From this reading Those who knew him well had long ago ceased to guess.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading He had watched Locke all day as a cat does a mouse, picking at the least fault, hurling criticisms in that brusque, snappy way of his at the slightest opening, and never once giving his cub pitcher a word of praise.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading THE PURLOINED LETTER It was rather difficult for Lefty to tell what sort of an impression the day’s work had made on Jim Brennan.
