used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
adjustedadjectiveUS /əˈdʒʌstɪd/
altered to accommodate to certain requirements or bring into a proper relation
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
blurtverbUS /blɜːrt/
utter impulsively
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
boldlyadverbUS /ˈboʊldli/
with boldness, in a bold manner
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
chumsnounUS /tʃʌmz/
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
comicaladjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmɪkəl/
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
embarrassmentnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
glaredverbUS /ɡlerd/
past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
a polite name for any woman
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
malenounUS /meɪl/
an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
a particular point in time
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
on one occasion
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
recurring again and again
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
only a very short time before
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
activities associated with sexual intercourse
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
spectaclesnounUS /ˈspektəkəlz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
stareverbUS /ster/
look at with fixed eyes
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
sternlyadverbUS /ˈstɜːrnli/
with sternness; in a severe manner
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading That shrill, sharp tone could never have come from a male throat.
tongue-tiedadjective
unable to express yourself clearly or fluently
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
not known
From this reading Now, too, the Unknown drew a pair of spectacles from her bag, adjusted them, and glared at Ruth and Helen.
vergenounUS /vɜːrdʒ/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
at the time that
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A mistake could scarcely be made in the sex of the comical looking individual at whom the chums had been led to stare so boldly, when once they heard the voice.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading The chums were tongue-tied in their embarrassment for the moment, but Helen managed to blurt out: “We—we didn’t know——” She was on the verge of making a bad matter worse, by saying that they didn’t know the lady was a lady!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I want to know,” repeated the woman sternly, “what you mean by following me around this boat?”
