Chapter VI · Chapter 6

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

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

someone who offers opposition

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

later than; following

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

someone who offers opposition

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

plural of “attack” — (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage; with two seats and a folding hood

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

plural of “coat” — an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

gotten under control

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

attempting to or designed to prevent an opponent from winning or scoring

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

with dexterity; in a dexterous manner

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

put to use

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

someone skilled at fencing

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

obtain

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

educate for a future role or function

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

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

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

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

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

come together

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

on one occasion

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

a contestant that you are matched against

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

inflected form of “parry” — impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball)

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

plural of “pass” — (baseball) an advance to first base by a batter who receives four balls

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

separated in relationship by a given degree of descent

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

cut with a saw

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

a feeling of pride in yourself

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

having or showing or requiring special skill

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

in the near future

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

natural abilities or qualities

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

in or at that place or location

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

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

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

plural of “thrust” — the force used in pushing

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

having come into contact

From this reading He had expected to have done with his opponent in a few thrusts; his self-esteem was touched by the necessity of defending himself.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

the act of using

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading But after one or two passes, one or two deftly parried attacks, Monleard realized that he had before him an antagonist of the first order; and that he must needs exert his utmost talent and strength to gain the advantage.

void of intelligence or thought

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

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

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

in or at the place that

From this reading They soon reached a spot where there was nothing to embarrass them; there they removed their coats and stood at guard.

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

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

in the company of; together with

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.

but in spite of that

From this reading Monleard, having taken the swords from his groom, ordered him to stay by the cabriolet; then he and Cherami entered the vacant lot, which had been made ready for building, but as yet contained nothing but stone.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading By the way in which Cherami stood, the young dandy saw at once that he had to do with an expert fencer; and, as he was himself well skilled in the use of the sword, he was not sorry to meet an adversary worthy of his steel.