used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A RACE TO THE BOAT.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
aggressiveadjectiveUS /əˈɡresɪv/
having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
any thing at all
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading A RACE TO THE BOAT.
confined by bonds
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
cherubnounUS /ˈtʃerəb/
a sweet innocent baby
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
contretempsnounUS /ˈkɑːntrətemps/
an awkward clash
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/
perceived or discerned
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
the act of discovering something
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
dreadfullyadverbUS /ˈdredfəli/
of a dreadful kind
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
divisible by two
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
the act of departing
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
only a very short time before
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
and nothing more
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
LeonnounUS /ˈliːɑːn/
a historical area and former kingdom in northwestern Spain
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
the force of workers available
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
a particular point in time
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
occurverbUS /əˈkɜːr/
come to pass
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
one of four equal parts
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
any competition
From this reading A RACE TO THE BOAT.
Roderic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A RACE TO THE BOAT.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A RACE TO THE BOAT.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
unfortunatelyadverbUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by bad luck
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was dreadfully unfortunate that such a miserable _contretemps_ seemed bound to occur as that the officer of the guard must arrive upon the scene just at this moment.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading Roderic unfortunately had his back turned in the quarter from whence the men advanced, else he might have detected the glow of light even before they turned the corner of the passage.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Roderic, upon hearing the first Spanish word in that thick voice knew discovery was at hand, and the little cherub of good fortune had suddenly taken a back seat.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If anything were done to prevent a general alarm from going forth, it would have to come from him, since Leon was hardly in a position to attempt any aggressive act, having a woman's arms about his neck.
