used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
abilitiesnounUS /əˈbɪlətiːz/
plural of “ability” — the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
matters of personal concern
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
(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 Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
assistedadjectiveUS /əˈsɪstɪd/
having help; often used as a combining form
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
lacking funds
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
rid of obstructions
From this reading “Everything is clear to me now,” thought he.
-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
convictsnounUS /ˈkɑːnvɪkts/
plural of “convict” — a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
Dick'snounUS /dɪks/
possessive form of “dick” — someone who is a detective
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading “Everything is clear to me now,” thought he.
expectsverbUS /ɪkˈspekts/
third-person singular of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
a boy or man
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
FowlernounUS /ˈfaʊlər/
English lexicographer who wrote a well-known book on English usage (1858-1933)
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
halenounUS /heɪl/
a soldier of the American Revolution who was hanged as a spy by the British; his last words were supposed to have been `I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country' (1755-1776)
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He is the one we have to thank for this trouble.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Everything is clear to me now,” thought he.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
inquireverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪr/
address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Everything is clear to me now,” thought he.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
something that is lost
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Everything is clear to me now,” thought he.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
navigatornounUS /ˈnævəɡeɪtər/
the ship's officer in charge of navigation
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Everything is clear to me now,” thought he.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He is the one we have to thank for this trouble.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
have in common
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading He is the one we have to thank for this trouble.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Everything is clear to me now,” thought he.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
a source of difficulty
From this reading He is the one we have to thank for this trouble.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading He is the one we have to thank for this trouble.
(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 He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “I know why Fowler had so many questions to ask concerning the contents of Uncle Dick’s strong box, and why he was so particular to inquire into my abilities as a navigator.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He is hale fellow well met with these convicts, has assisted them to escape, and expects to get a large share of the money in the safe.
worthiesnounUS /ˈwɜːrðiz/
plural of “worthy” — an important, honorable person (word is often used humorously)
From this reading Up to this time Frank had been all in the dark, and utterly at a loss to find any explanation for the situation of affairs; but at the sight of these two worthies a sudden light broke in upon him.
