Chapter IX · The Secret of the Cave

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

having fair knowledge of

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

later than; following

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

(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 Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

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

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

eagerly desirous

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

the two together, not just one

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

plural of “cavern” — any large dark enclosed space

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

a person who is in charge

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

being joined in close association

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

the process of giving careful thought to something

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

persuaded of; very sure

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

a flow of electricity through a conductor

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

in accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

the boundary of a surface

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

one or the other of two

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

before anything else

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

not accessible to view

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

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

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

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

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

possessive form of “jones” — United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

used to form the superlative

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

of an obscure nature

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

plural of “report” — a written document describing the findings of some individual or group

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

past form of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

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

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

in the second place

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

plural of “supposition” — a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

in or at that place or location

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

in an exhaustive manner

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

precisely as stated

From this reading It seemed very improbable for many reasons, one of the chief being the man’s extreme poverty, which appeared to touch the very edge of sheer starvation.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

look attentively

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading After both suppositions had been duly weighed, the second was accepted as the most likely; and it forthwith received the young man’s consideration.

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

From this reading Was it possible, after all, that those reports were true, and that in some mysterious manner Jones had become acquainted with the hiding-place?

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

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

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.

in the company of; together with

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world

From this reading If there was a secret, he argued, it was in some way connected, firstly, with William Jones’s worldly prosperity; secondly, with the reports current of treasure hidden in times past among the sand-hills or the dangerous caverns of the sea.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The young man of the caravan was now thoroughly convinced that one of two things must be true, either that William Jones had been instructed to keep a watch upon him, or that he, William Jones, had a secret of some sort which he was anxious not to have revealed.