used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you here in order to kill me?"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Far be such evil thoughts from us!
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
condescendingadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːndɪˈsendɪŋ/
(used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
disguisedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈɡaɪzd/
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
downcastadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnkæst/
directed downward
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
put on clothes
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
a person who is older than you are
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
envisaging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
envoysnounUS /ˈenvɔɪz/
plural of “envoy” — a diplomat having less authority than an ambassador
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading "Far be such evil thoughts from us!
opinion or judgment
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "Far be such evil thoughts from us!
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
garmentsnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənts/
plural of “garment” — an article of clothing
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
grinnounUS /ɡrɪn/
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
hailverbUS /heɪl/
praise vociferously
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Are you here in order to kill me?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading "Are you here in order to kill me?"
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Are you here in order to kill me?"
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
Meleagrian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
the force of workers available
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
used to form the superlative
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
mountebanks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
Nicobar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
noblesnounUS /ˈnoʊbəlz/
plural of “noble” — a titled peer of the realm
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
obeisancenounUS /oʊˈbeɪsəns/
bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
having official authority or sanction
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
on one occasion
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading "Are you here in order to kill me?"
OrientaladjectiveUS /ˌɔːriˈentəl/
denoting or characteristic of countries of the Far East
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
pseudo-merchants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
recognitionnounUS /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
straightwayadverb
at once
From this reading And in the most natural and condescending manner I could command I straightway began to question the two smiling pseudo-merchants in Meleagrian.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "Far be such evil thoughts from us!
sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Far be such evil thoughts from us!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Far be such evil thoughts from us!
in or at the place that
From this reading "I believe," said I slowly, envisaging the two Meleagrian nobles, envoys to our Earth disguised in the mean garments of Oriental mountebanks, "from their features and their dress these men hail from the Nicobar Islands, where I once held an official post."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
in the company of; together with
From this reading To which sentence with a grin of pleased recognition and a sweeping obeisance the elder of the pair replied with downcast eyes:
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you here in order to kill me?"
