used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
boomverbUS /buːm/
make a resonant sound, like artillery
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
BrandnounUS /brænd/
a name given to a product or service
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
clerkly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
detainverbUS /dɪˈteɪn/
deprive of freedom; take into confinement
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
divisible by two
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
Francis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
immediately past
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
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 He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
a particular point in time
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
a form of address for a man
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
OlivernounUS /ˈɑːləvər/
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
prodigiousadjectiveUS /prəˈdɪdʒəs/
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
reprieved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
respitenounUS /ˈrespɪt/
a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
only a very short time before
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
and nothing more
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
throbverbUS /θrɑːb/
pulsate or pound with abnormal force
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was already close upon ten o’clock, and at half-past he must be in the House.
communicated in words
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
VictorianounUS /vɪkˈtɔːriə/
queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
someone who visits
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
at the time that
From this reading But he was not reprieved for more than a minute, for the last boom from the Victoria Tower had scarcely ceased to throb when the door opened and a clerkly voice uttered the name he was expecting.
WhitehallnounUS /ˈwaɪthɔːl/
a wide street in London stretching from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament; site of many government offices
From this reading I Oliver Brand, seated in his little private room at Whitehall, was expecting a visitor.
whoever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Even now, every moment was a respite, for the work had become simply prodigious during the last weeks.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He had hoped that Mr. Francis, whoever he might be, would not detain him long.
