used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
in the past
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And now—you know his horrid _soubriquet_—‘The Boiled Owl.’
BoiledadjectiveUS /bɔɪld/
cooked in hot water
From this reading And now—you know his horrid _soubriquet_—‘The Boiled Owl.’
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
cadaverousadjective
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
Cadminster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
dearly loved
From this reading “Dear me,” she observed.
dyspepticadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈspeptɪk/
suffering from dyspepsia
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
elevatedadjectiveUS /ˈeləveɪtɪd/
raised above the ground
From this reading Lady Millebrook elevated her eyebrows.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
eyebrowsnounUS /ˈaɪbraʊz/
plural of “eyebrow” — the arch of hair above each eye
From this reading Lady Millebrook elevated her eyebrows.
fresh-colored
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
hardyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrdi/
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
healthyadjectiveUS /ˈhelθi/
having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Lady Millebrook elevated her eyebrows.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And now—you know his horrid _soubriquet_—‘The Boiled Owl.’
horridadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəd/
exceedingly bad
From this reading And now—you know his horrid _soubriquet_—‘The Boiled Owl.’
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How very odd!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading And now—you know his horrid _soubriquet_—‘The Boiled Owl.’
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Lady Millebrook elevated her eyebrows.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Dear me,” she observed.
Millebrook
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Millebrook elevated her eyebrows.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “Dear me,” she observed.
not divisible by two
From this reading “How very odd!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
out-of-doorsnoun
where the air is unconfined
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
OwlnounUS /aʊl/
nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading And now—you know his horrid _soubriquet_—‘The Boiled Owl.’
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
queriedverbUS /ˈkwɪrid/
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
robustadjectiveUS /roʊˈbʌst/
sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
semi-invalid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Dear me,” she observed.
soubriquetnoun
a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name)
From this reading And now—you know his horrid _soubriquet_—‘The Boiled Owl.’
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
Tollebranch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
precisely as stated
From this reading “How very odd!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
a late time of life
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Would it surprise you to hear,” queried Mrs. Tollebranch, “that Cadminster, two years ago, was _perfectly healthy!_ Not the cadaverous dyspeptic he is now; not the semi-invalid, but a robust, healthy, fresh-colored man of the out-of-doors, hardy English type?”
