Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

(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 The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

a beckoning gesture

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

formal or perfunctory politeness

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

although something is true; in spite of

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

past form of “extricate” — release from entanglement of difficulty

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

plural of “eyebrow” — the arch of hair above each eye

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

having much knowledge or education

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

quality of coming late or later in time

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

not any; not one

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

unpleasantly

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

a human being

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

the manner in which something is expressed in words

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

(of farmland) broken and turned over with a plow

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

plural of “ravage” — (usually plural) a destructive action

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

an ability that has been acquired by training

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

in the near future

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

sprinkled with seed

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The poor sweeper’s tale, extricated from its peculiar phraseology, was simple enough, and soon told.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

a diluting agent

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

not common or ordinarily encountered; unusually great in amount or remarkable in character or kind

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

past form of “usher” — take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Though Beck had been at the house before, and the valet had admitted him, so much thinner, so much more ragged was he now, that the trim servant--no close observer of such folk--did not recognize him.

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

of good upbringing

From this reading However, at Percival’s order, too well-bred to show surprise, he ushered Beck up with much civility; and St. John was painfully struck with the ravages a few weeks had made upon the sweeper’s countenance.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The lines were so deeply ploughed, the dry hair looked so thin, and was so sown with gray that Beck might have beat all Farren’s skill in the part of an old man.

at the time that

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Despite the lateness of the hour before he got to rest, Percival had already breakfasted, when his valet informed him, with raised, supercilious eyebrows, that an uncommon ragged sort of a person insisted that he had been told to call.