used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
abatedverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪd/
past form of “abate” — make less active or intense
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
ablestadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəlst/
superlative of “able” — (usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
a distinct feature or element in a problem
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
cowardlyadjectiveUS /ˈkaʊərdli/
lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
derivedadjectiveUS /dərˈaɪvd/
formed or developed from something else; not original
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
the act of discovering something
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
an opposing military force
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
not accessible to view
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
Isy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
a particular point in time
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
used to form the superlative
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
information about recent and important events
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
not any; not one
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
offencenoun
the action of attacking an enemy
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
past form of “persuade” — win approval or support for
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
quieteradjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪətər/
comparative of “quiet” — characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
on the contrary
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
retrospectnounUS /ˈretrəspekt/
contemplation of things past
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
precisely, exactly
From this reading He derived, however, a feeble and right cowardly comfort from the reflection that he had done nothing to hide the miserable fact, and could not now.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
not in physical motion
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
express in words
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
a special situation
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
unrepented
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The darkness and silence left over it by his unrepented offence, gave it, in his retrospect, a threatening aspect—out of which at any moment might burst the hidden enemy, the thing that might be known, and must not be known!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As time went on, the terror of discovery grew rather than abated in the mind of the minister.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
at the time that
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When most persuaded of this, he felt ablest to live and forget the past, of which he was unable to recall any portion with satisfaction.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He could not tell whence or why it should be so, for no news of Isy reached him, and he felt, in his quieter moments, almost certain that she could not have passed so completely out of his horizon, if she were still in the world.
