used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
a feeling of delighted approval and liking
From this reading The concubine had won more than she had lost in the admiration of her mistress.
agentnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənt/
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
allegiancenounUS /əˈliːdʒəns/
the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It took genius to give way before the inevitable.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
concubinenounUS /ˈkɑːnkjəbaɪn/
a woman who cohabits with an important man
From this reading The concubine had won more than she had lost in the admiration of her mistress.
discernmentnounUS /dɪˈsɝːn.mənt/
The ability to judge well and perceive the true nature of events.
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
effectsnounUS /ɪˈfekts/
property of a personal character that is portable but not used in business
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
exposurenounUS /ɪkˈspoʊʒər/
vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
falteringnounUS /ˈfɔːltərɪŋ/
the act of pausing uncertainly
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading It took genius to give way before the inevitable.
a young female
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading It took genius to give way before the inevitable.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading It took genius to give way before the inevitable.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It took genius to give way before the inevitable.
Kuei-lien's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading The concubine had won more than she had lost in the admiration of her mistress.
machinationsnounUS /ˌmækəˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “machination” — a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading The concubine had won more than she had lost in the admiration of her mistress.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The concubine had won more than she had lost in the admiration of her mistress.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
regainedverbUS /riˈɡeɪnd/
past form of “regain” — get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
stubbornlyadverbUS /ˈstʌbərnli/
in a stubborn unregenerate manner
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
t'ai-t'ai
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
termedverbUS /tɜːrmd/
past form of “term” — name formally or designate with a term
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The concubine had won more than she had lost in the admiration of her mistress.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading By one shrewd stroke the t'ai-t'ai had regained Kuei-lien's faltering allegiance.
thievingnounUS /ˈθiːvɪŋ/
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading It took genius to give way before the inevitable.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was very happy over the effects of her skill and particularly pleased at her discernment in the choice of an agent.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It took genius to give way before the inevitable.
the basic unit of money in South Korea
From this reading The concubine had won more than she had lost in the admiration of her mistress.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Any ordinary girl, caught thieving, as the t'ai-t'ai termed Kuei-lien's machinations, would have held stubbornly to her story and forced a final violent exposure.
