Chapter IX · Chapter 9

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

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

plural of “allusion” — passing reference or indirect mention

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

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

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

of or relating to persons who study or deal in antiques or antiquities

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

the event of one object coming closer to another

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

related to or characterized by or given to atheism

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

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

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

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

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

plural of “comment” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

someone who keeps a diary or journal

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

come together

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

all things; all of a situation

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

set up or found

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

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

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

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

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

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

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

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

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

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

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

showing lack of due respect or veneration

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

immediately past

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

of greater importance or stature or rank

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

possessive form of “major” — a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

a plan for attaining a particular goal

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

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

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

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

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

and nothing more

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

above and across; more than

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

past form of “ponder” — reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

likely but not certain to be or become true or real

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

any of two genera of northern seabirds having short necks and brightly colored compressed bills

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

the manner in which something is greeted

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

a partly sheltered anchorage

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

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

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

in a singular manner or to a singular degree

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

lacking brightness or color; dull

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Following so closely on the encounter with Miss Mapp last night, this irreverent attitude was probably due to some atheistical manoeuvre of hers.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

exhibiting or calling for sportsmanship or fair play

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

declared as fact; explicitly stated

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

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

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

in or at that place or location

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

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

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

cultivation of the land in order to raise crops

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

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

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

plural of “train” — public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading They had pondered a good deal during the day over their strange reception in the High Street that morning and the recondite allusions to bags, sand-dunes and early trains, and the more they pondered the more probable it became that not only was something up, but, as regards the duel, everything was up.

under normal conditions

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

a feeling of profound respect for someone or something

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading Such, at least, was the Major's view, and when he held a view he usually stated it, did Sporting Benjy.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading For weeks now they had been regarded by the ladies of Tilling with something approaching veneration, but there seemed singularly little veneration at the back of the comments this morning.

at the time that

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Captain Puffin found but a sombre diarist when he came over to study his Roman roads with Major Flint that evening, and indeed he was a sombre antiquarian himself.