used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
at or in the front
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
(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 concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
ArrivingverbUS /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/
-ing form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
Bert
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
Brennan's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
a formal event performed on a special occasion
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
not accessible to view
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
corridornounUS /ˈkɔːrədər/
an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
definiteadjectiveUS /ˈdefənət/
precise; explicit and clearly defined
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
Elgin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
communicated in words
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
feverishlyadverbUS /ˈfevərɪʃli/
in a feverish manner
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
JunctionnounUS /ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
the place where two or more things come together
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
immediately past
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
go away from a place
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
LeftynounUS /ˈlefti/
a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
LockenounUS /lɑːk/
English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
nervousnessnounUS /ˈnɜːrvəsnəs/
the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
nonappearancenoun
failure to appear (especially as at court)
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
occurrencenounUS /əˈkɜːrəns/
an event that happens
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
openlyadverbUS /ˈoʊpənli/
in an open way
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
pacingnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪŋ/
(music) the speed at which a composition is to be played
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
a raised horizontal surface
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
pretextnounUS /ˈpriːtekst/
something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
puzzlingadjectiveUS /ˈpʌzəlɪŋ/
not clear to the understanding
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
revelingverbUS /ˈrevəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “revel” — take delight in
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
only a very short time before
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
self-containedadjectiveUS /ˈselfkənˈteɪnd/
constituting a complete and independent unit in and of itself
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading He had concealed his nervousness all morning, taking hope from the nonappearance of Lefty on the field, and reveling in Brennan’s openly expressed anger at the puzzling occurrence.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But now he felt that he must find out something definite.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Through some pretext, Bert Elgin managed to leave the ground a few minutes ahead of the others.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
the act of using
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Arriving at the hotel, he hastened up to the corridor above his own, taking care to use the stairs for the last flight, and made his way to a certain door, which he pushed open without ceremony.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading FOR WANT OF A LIE Locke would scarcely have been so self-contained had he known what had taken place at the hotel about the time he was feverishly pacing the platform at Flat Rock Junction.
