Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

later than; following

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

(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 After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

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

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

United States astronaut; the first man to set foot on the Moon (July 20, 1969) (1930-)

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

fraudulent; having a misleading appearance

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

plural of “bookkeeper” — someone who records the transactions of a business

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

positioned so as to be ready for confrontation or danger

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

showing who or what does the action

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

something that interests you because it is important or affects you

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

plural of “description” — a statement that represents something in words

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

past form of “dispatch” — send away towards a designated goal

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading EVERY MAN TO HIS TRADE.

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

bottle that has a narrow neck

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

come to pass

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

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

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading EVERY MAN TO HIS TRADE.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

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

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

with impatience; in an impatient manner

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

a formal or official examination

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

go away from a place

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

the literary culture

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

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

From this reading EVERY MAN TO HIS TRADE.

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

a condition requiring relief

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

above and across; more than

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

go across or through

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

in spite of the fact that

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

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

From this reading EVERY MAN TO HIS TRADE.

the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services

From this reading EVERY MAN TO HIS TRADE.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

precisely as stated

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

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

From this reading Then it occurred to him that such a great concern must have a general manager, and of course he would know something about the different papers these people had brought for his inspection and for him to pass upon, which were like so much Greek to him.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

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

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

in the company of; together with

From this reading During the next hour a score or more bookkeepers came to him with bills, letters and papers of all descriptions.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading After the bogus Lester Armstrong had dispatched his letter of acceptance to Mrs. Fairfax he braced himself for what would happen next by taking a deep draught from the silver brandy flask which he kept in his breast pocket, though he realized that he had need of all his senses for any emergency.

utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To one and all he said, with a yawn, and very impatiently: "Leave what you have brought on my desk; I'll look over it this afternoon."