used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
having companions or an escort
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
agentsnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənts/
plural of “agent” — an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The situation struck them as rather pleasant.
assistedadjectiveUS /əˈsɪstɪd/
having help; often used as a combining form
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
astonishments
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
brainsnounUS /breɪnz/
plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
certaintynounUS /ˈsɜːrtənti/
the state of being certain
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
Chapelain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
commissarynounUS /ˈkɑːməseri/
a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
Desclavettes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
Desormeaux
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
divisible by two
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
give expression to
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
communicated in words
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
gigglingverbUS /ˈɡɪɡəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “giggle” — laugh nervously
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
guidedadjectiveUS /ˈɡaɪdəd/
subject to guidance or control especially after launching
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
an established custom
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
immensitynoun
unusual largeness in size or extent or number
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
a message received and understood
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
the force of workers available
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
used to form the superlative
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
and nothing more
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading The situation struck them as rather pleasant.
the body of people in a learned occupation
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
rackedverbUS /rækt/
past form of “rack” — go at a rack
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
on the contrary
From this reading The situation struck them as rather pleasant.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
researchesnounUS /riˈsɜːrtʃɪz/
plural of “research” — systematic investigation to establish facts
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
scentnounUS /sɛnt/
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading The situation struck them as rather pleasant.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The situation struck them as rather pleasant.
stupidlyadverbUS /ˈstuːpədli/
in a stupid manner
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
suspectingverbUS /səˈspektɪŋ/
-ing form of “suspect” — imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The situation struck them as rather pleasant.
a special situation
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.
unlikelyadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪkli/
not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
wherein
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading V Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?
which person or people
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
winkingnounUS /ˈwɪŋkɪŋ/
a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly
From this reading The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly.
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M. Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
