used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/
for a short time
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
wanted intensely
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
Dobbs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
set up or found
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
fussingverbUS /ˈfʌsɪŋ/
-ing form of “fuss” — worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "But I must have a private talk with you," she said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
go away from a place
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
lodgingsnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz/
temporary living quarters
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "But I must have a private talk with you," she said.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
mysteriesnounUS /ˈmɪstəriz/
plural of “mystery” — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
OwennounUS /ˈoʊən/
Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
having a margin incised almost to the base so as to create distinct divisions or lobes
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading "But I must have a private talk with you," she said.
privatelyadverbUS /ˈpraɪvətli/
kept private or confined to those intimately concerned
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
determined
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "But I must have a private talk with you," she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
express in speech
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "But I must have a private talk with you," she said.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But as she desired to speak with him privately, she resolved to go to his lodgings early enough to catch him before he should leave home.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Before they parted Mrs. Dobbs had arranged with Owen that he should come and have an interview with her at ten o'clock the following morning.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "And I can't get that in my own house, without fussing and making mysteries."
writing-desk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She found Owen already at his writing-desk, and, as he turned a startled face on her, briefly assured him that all was well with May.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "But I must have a private talk with you," she said.
