used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
believingnounUS /bɪˈliːvɪŋ/
the cognitive process that leads to convictions
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
inflected form of “bear” — have
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
contemplatedverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪd/
past form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
contingencynounUS /kənˈtɪndʒənsi/
a possible event or occurrence or result
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
depredationsnounUS /ˌdeprəˈdeɪʃənz/
plural of “depredation” — an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
start firing a weapon
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
set up or found
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
immediately past
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
LeighnounUS /liː/
English film actress (1913-1967)
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE WRONG MAN.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
murderedadjectiveUS /ˈmɜːrdərd/
killed unlawfully
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
many times at short intervals
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
phasesnounUS /ˈfeɪzəz/
plural of “phase” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
preynounUS /preɪ/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
pursuingadjectiveUS /pərˈsuːɪŋ/
following in order to overtake or capture or as accompaniment to such pursuit
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
resolveverbUS /riˈzɑːlv/
bring to an end; settle conclusively
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
only a very short time before
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
Stamer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WRONG MAN.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
thresholdnounUS /ˈθreʃoʊld/
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
Timmons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
unsuspectingadjectiveUS /ˌʌnsəˈspektɪŋ/
not suspicious
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading He had scarcely the strength to walk away, and he certainly had not the desire to go.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
at the time that
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
which person or people
From this reading He had often, in thought, faced the contingency of having to fire on some one who found him at his midnight depredations, but he had not, until he formed the resolve of putting Leigh away, contemplated lying in wait for an unsuspecting man and shooting him as if he were a bird of prey.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading He had borne two extreme phases of terror within the last twenty-four hours; he had suffered the breathless terror of believing he had taken human life, and he had imagined the spirit of the murdered man was pursuing him.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading THE WRONG MAN.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading When Timmons led the almost unconscious Stamer from the threshold, and left him a few yards from the door, the latter did not go far.
