used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
affectionatelyadverbUS /əˈfekʃənətli/
with affection
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
anew
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
ALLIESnounUS /ˈælaɪz/
the alliance of nations that fought the Axis in World War II and which (with subsequent additions) signed the charter of the United Nations in 1945
From this reading AMONG ALLIES.
AMONGprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading AMONG ALLIES.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
Barraclough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
blazesnounUS /ˈbleɪzɪz/
plural of “blaze” — a strong flame that burns brightly
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
give a benediction to
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
bobbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
clothing in general
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
crooksnounUS /krʊks/
plural of “crook” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
remove the dust from
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
entertainverbUS /ˌentərˈteɪn/
provide entertainment for
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
opinion or judgment
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
and nothing more
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
masqueradernoun
a participant in a masquerade
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
on one occasion
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
retreatingverbUS /riˈtriːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “retreat” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
only a very short time before
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
at the time that
From this reading The door had scarcely closed upon the retreating masquerader when once again Barraclough slipped into the room.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
a Caucasian
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
in the company of; together with
From this reading His clothes were white with dust, his eyes hollow and deep set, but around the corners of his mouth was just such a smile as any mother might hope to see.
showing curiosity
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Though why in blazes you entertain well known crooks to tea gets me wondering."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Bless your sweet bobbed head," he whispered, throwing an arm affectionately about her shoulders.
