used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
on or to one side
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
BrooklynnounUS /ˈbrʊklən/
a borough of New York City
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
without doubt or question
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
ConsequencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/
plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
consultedverbUS /kənˈsʌltəd/
past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
gotten under control
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
CorporationnounUS /ˌkɔːrpərˈeɪʃən/
a business firm whose articles of incorporation have been approved in some state
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
CunninghamnounUS /ˈkʌnɪŋhæm/
United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922)
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
discussverbUS /dɪˈskʌs/
to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
Ellery's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
investigationnounUS /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/
an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
Joan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
Joan's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
the literary culture
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
managementnounUS /ˈmænədʒmənt/
the act of managing something
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
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 The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
term of address for a man
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
subordinateadjectiveUS /səˈbɔːrdəneɪt/
lower in rank or importance
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading On the day following Ellery’s successful investigation at the Cunningham Hotel, Joan sat opening the letters at breakfast.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
troublousadjective
full of trouble
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
Vernon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ill as he was, Sir Vernon liked to be consulted about some of these; and Joan always set aside a few to discuss with him each morning.
Vernon's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The management of the Brooklyn Corporation had passed, for the time being, into the hands of a subordinate; but there were many private letters to be read and answered.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Most of them contained little of interest; but there was one, marked Private, which was clearly of importance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A Letter and Its Consequences One of Joan’s duties, during these troublous days, was to deal with Sir Vernon’s private letters.
