used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
accumulatesverbUS /əˈkjuːmjəleɪts/
third-person singular of “accumulate” — get or gather together
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
arm-chairs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Beyond this, there was nothing.
bookshelvesnounUS /ˈbʊkʃelvz/
plural of “bookshelf” — a shelf on which to keep books
From this reading One entire side of the room was occupied by bookshelves.
Breaking-strain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One entire side of the room was occupied by bookshelves.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
cleareradjectiveUS /ˈklɪrər/
comparative of “clear” — readily apparent to the mind
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
cluenounUS /kluː/
a slight indication
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading One entire side of the room was occupied by bookshelves.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
entrynounUS /ˈentri/
an item inserted in a written record
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
divisible by two
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
forecastsnounUS /fɔːrˈkæsts/
plural of “forecast” — a prediction about how something (as the weather) will develop
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
obtain
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
high-ceilingedadjective
having a higher than normal ceiling
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
indexnounUS /ˈɪndeks/
a numerical scale used to compare variables with one another or with some reference number
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
insightnounUS /ˈɪnsaɪt/
clear or deep perception of a situation
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
not any; not one
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
Nordenholt's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Beyond this, there was nothing.
held or filled or in use
From this reading One entire side of the room was occupied by bookshelves.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One entire side of the room was occupied by bookshelves.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
possessionsnounUS /pəˈzeʃənz/
plural of “possession” — the act of having and controlling property
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
PsychologynounUS /saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/
the science of mental life
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
reticencenounUS /ˈretɪsəns/
the trait of being uncommunicative; not volunteering anything more than necessary
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
roll-top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading One entire side of the room was occupied by bookshelves.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
spaciousadjectiveUS /ˈspeɪʃəs/
very large in expanse or scope
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Beyond this, there was nothing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
uncommonadjectiveUS /ənˈkɑːmən/
not common or ordinarily encountered; unusually great in amount or remarkable in character or kind
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
usheredverbUS /ˈʌʃərd/
past form of “usher” — take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The room into which he ushered me was spacious and high-ceilinged; a heavy carpet, into the pile of which my feet sank, covered the floor; a few arm-chairs were scattered here and there; and a closed roll-top desk stood in a corner.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I had expected something uncommon, from what I had already seen of him; but my forecasts were entirely different from the reality.
at the time that
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Psychology of the Breaking-strain With my entry into Nordenholt’s house I hoped to gain a clearer insight into certain sides of his character; for the possessions which a man accumulates about him serve as an index to his mind even when his reticence gives no clue to his nature.
