used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
actualitynounUS /ˌæktʃuːˈælətiː/
the state of actually existing objectively
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
BangsnounUS /bæŋz/
plural of “bang” — a vigorous blow
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Never before had there been such a drastic overhauling of the premises.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
clemencynounUS /ˈklemənsi/
good weather with comfortable temperatures
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
disciplinenounUS /ˈdɪsəplən/
a branch of knowledge
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
dispatchverbUS /dɪˈspætʃ/
send away towards a designated goal
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
drasticadjectiveUS /ˈdræstɪk/
forceful and extreme and rigorous
From this reading Never before had there been such a drastic overhauling of the premises.
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
instructionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/
a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
interpretingnounUS /ˈɪntərpretɪŋ/
an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
mettlenounUS /ˈmetəl/
the courage to carry on
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
a form of address for a man
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Never before had there been such a drastic overhauling of the premises.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
and nothing more
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
overhaulingverbUS /ˈoʊvərhɔːlɪŋ/
-ing form of “overhaul” — travel past
From this reading Never before had there been such a drastic overhauling of the premises.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
performedverbUS /pərˈfɔːrmd/
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
premisesnounUS /ˈpreməsəz/
land and the buildings on it
From this reading Never before had there been such a drastic overhauling of the premises.
QuinnounUS /kwɪn/
one of five children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
Quin's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
on the contrary
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Never before had there been such a drastic overhauling of the premises.
tasksnounUS /tæsks/
plural of “task” — any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
testingnounUS /ˈtestɪŋ/
the act of subjecting to experimental test in order to determine how well something works
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Never before had there been such a drastic overhauling of the premises.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
thoroughnessnounUS /ˈθɜːroʊnəs/
conscientiousness in performing all aspects of a task
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
unholyadjectiveUS /ənˈhoʊli/
not hallowed or consecrated
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He had been told to clean things up, and he took an unholy joy in interpreting the order in military terms.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
upsetverbUS /əpˈset/
disturb the balance or stability of
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
window-washingnoun
the activity of washing windows
From this reading If the window-washing did not become an actuality, it was due to the weather rather than to any clemency on the part of Mr. Bangs.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Quin, on his part, carried out instructions with a thoroughness and dispatch that upset the entire office force.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He seemed bent upon testing Quin's mettle, and required tasks of him that only a man used to the discipline of the army would have performed.
