used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
AlinounUS /ˈɑːli/
United States prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942)
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was Friday, and a guest-night.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
CalcuttanounUS /ˌkælˈkʌtə/
the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
Chatham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
civiliannounUS /səˈvɪljən/
a nonmilitary citizen
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
dinedverbUS /daɪnd/
past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
the organ of sight
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
fortnightnounUS /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/
a period of fourteen consecutive days
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
FridaynounUS /ˈfraɪdi/
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading It was Friday, and a guest-night.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
glassesnounUS /ˈɡlæsəz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
coins made of gold
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
guest-night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Friday, and a guest-night.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Friday, and a guest-night.
jerkverbUS /dʒɜːrk/
pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
and nothing more
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
legerdemainnounUS /ˌledʒərdəˈmeɪn/
an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
Linforth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
LINFORTH'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
LOYALTYnounUS /ˈlɔɪəlti/
the quality of being loyal
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
mahoganynounUS /məˈhɑːɡəni/
wood of any of various mahogany trees; much used for cabinetwork and furniture
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
mess-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
mess-waiters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
Ralston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
separated in relationship by a given degree of descent
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
scarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/
a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
Shere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
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 The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
sombreadjective
lacking brightness or color; dull
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
stripsnounUS /strɪps/
plural of “strip” — a relatively long narrow piece of something
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
moving very fast
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
SYBIL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
tableclothnounUS /ˈteɪbəlklɔːθ/
a covering spread over a dining table
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
tablesnounUS /ˈteɪbəlz/
plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
telegramnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The mess-room was full, and here and there amongst the scarlet and gold lace the sombre black of a civilian caught the eye.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
having passed out of existence
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
a Caucasian
From this reading Dinner was just over, and at the ends of the long tables the mess-waiters stood ready to draw, with a single jerk, the strips of white tablecloth from the shining mahogany.
in the company of; together with
From this reading SYBIL LINFORTH'S LOYALTY A fortnight after Shere Ali had dined with Ralston in Calcutta, a telegram was handed to Linforth at Chatham.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The silver and the glasses had been removed, the word was given, and the strips of tablecloth vanished as though by some swift legerdemain.
