used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
Adolphus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These were Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, and his man Fisk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading “The governor gone to bed yet, Fisk?”
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
conversingverbUS /kənˈvɜːrsɪŋ/
-ing form of “converse” — carry on a conversation
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
Dalradern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
dark-eyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
dressing-gown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
Fisk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These were Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, and his man Fisk.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
gentnounUS /dʒent/
informal abbreviation of “gentleman”
From this reading “No, Sir; he’s still talking with the old gent.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “The governor gone to bed yet, Fisk?”
the head of a state government
From this reading “The governor gone to bed yet, Fisk?”
he's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, Sir; he’s still talking with the old gent.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
Ladarelle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These were Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, and his man Fisk.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
a form of address for a man
From this reading These were Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, and his man Fisk.
not any; not one
From this reading “No, Sir; he’s still talking with the old gent.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “No, Sir; he’s still talking with the old gent.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
plumpadjectiveUS /plʌmp/
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
on the contrary
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
term of address for a man
From this reading “No, Sir; he’s still talking with the old gent.
smart-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
sofanounUS /ˈsoʊfə/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
not in physical motion
From this reading “No, Sir; he’s still talking with the old gent.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading “No, Sir; he’s still talking with the old gent.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These were Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, and his man Fisk.
thick-lippedadjective
having thick lips
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The governor gone to bed yet, Fisk?”
valetnounUS /væˈleɪ/
a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
well-formedadjective
conforming to the rules of grammar or usage accepted by native speakers
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These were Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, and his man Fisk.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
but in spite of that
From this reading “The governor gone to bed yet, Fisk?”
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet.
