Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading They promised him a fortune.”

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

take into custody

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

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

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

aroused or activated

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

the act of burning something

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

the act of discovering something

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading They promised him a fortune.”

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

-ing form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

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

From this reading They promised him a fortune.”

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

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

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

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

plural of “insult” — a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

prevented from decaying or spoiling and prepared for future use

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading They promised him a fortune.”

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

socially incorrect in behavior

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

plural of “spasm” — a painful and involuntary muscular contraction

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

the sound of light blow or knock

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

a sudden outburst of anger

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

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

From this reading They promised him a fortune.”

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

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

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

a shaky motion

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

at the time that

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.

showing curiosity

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading There were years, then, that he lived, as it were upon burning coals, trembling at the fear of discovery, and wondering, as he went to sleep each night, whether he would not be awakened by the rude hand of the police tapping him on the shoulder.

a late time of life

From this reading When his friends were heaping insults upon him, he had exclaimed, “Be it so! let them arrest me; and to-night, for the first time in many years, I shall sleep in peace.”

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

From this reading Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte were too young at the time of that dinner to have preserved any remembrance of it; but they remembered many other circumstances, which, at the time they had taken place, had not struck them.