used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
(of mail) marked with a destination
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
alighted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There we both alighted.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
anxious-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
the two together, not just one
From this reading There we both alighted.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
counternounUS /ˈkaʊntər/
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
fencedverbUS /fenst/
past form of “fence” — enclose with a fence
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
grey-clad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
inquiriesnounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/
plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
Jessop
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
engage in
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
a form of address for a man
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
on one occasion
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
a human being
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
post-office
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
REFUGEnounUS /ˈrefjuːdʒ/
a safe place
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
screennounUS /skriːn/
a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
try to get or reach
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
suspiciouslyadverbUS /səˈspɪʃəsli/
with suspicion
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
telegramnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There we both alighted.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
unmistakablyadverbUS /ˌʌnmɪˈsteɪkəbli/
without possibility of mistake
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE SEEK "THE REFUGE" WE (Mr. Jessop and I) drove slowly to the first post-office.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
which person or people
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
wireworknoun
mesh netting made of wires
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And I in my impatience fairly flung myself against the long counter with its wirework screen that fenced off the post-office girls.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you the person to whom the telegram was addressed?" one of the girls asked almost suspiciously.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading They stared curiously at the anxious-looking young woman in black and the grey-clad, unmistakably American young man, who both at once began to make inquiries about a certain telegram which had been handed in there at half-past seven o'clock the evening before.
