used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
from appearances alone
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
ARGYLEnounUS /ˈɑːrɡaɪl/
a covered gravy holder of silver or other metal containing a detachable central vessel for hot water to keep the gravy warm
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
bagsnounUS /bæɡz/
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
of short duration or distance
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
chasednounUS /tʃeɪst/
a person who is being chased
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
gotten under control
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/
on a floor below
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
examinationnounUS /ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃən/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
flimsyadjectiveUS /ˈflɪmzi/
lacking solidity or strength
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
heapedverbUS /hiːpt/
past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
jewelnounUS /ˈdʒuːəl/
a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
JoshuanounUS /ˈdʒɑːʃuːə/
(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
jumbledadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌmbəld/
in utter disorder
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
fasten with a lock
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
Mosely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
mournfuladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrnfəl/
expressing sorrow
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
not any; not one
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
and nothing more
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
QnounUS /kjuː/
the 17th letter of the Roman alphabet
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
smallestadjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːləst/
superlative of “small” — limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So had the flimsy lock of the chased silver jewel box it contained.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
thiefnounUS /θiːf/
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
trailedverbUS /treɪld/
past form of “trail” — to lag or linger behind
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
travelingnounUS /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading The smallest of the traveling bags heaped in a corner of the room had been broken open.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
violetnounUS /ˈvaɪəlɪt/
any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading THE POLICE AND THE DUKE OF ARGYLE Ten minutes later they trailed downstairs from a mournful inspection of the violet room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The thief, apparently, had made brief examination of the various bags in the jumbled heap until he had come upon the only one that was locked.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading There could be no doubt as to the truth of what Joshua Q. Mosely had told them.
