used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading But Corder's back was against the wall, literally and metaphorically.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Go and tell him to come, Brinkman."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading But Corder's back was against the wall, literally and metaphorically.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
Brinkman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Go and tell him to come, Brinkman."
Brinkman's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
Clapperton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Go and tell him to come, Brinkman."
Corder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
Corder's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Corder's back was against the wall, literally and metaphorically.
curtadjectiveUS /kɜːrt/
marked by rude or peremptory shortness
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
defyverbUS /dɪˈfaɪ/
resist or confront with resistance
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Go and tell him to come, Brinkman."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
he'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/
in a literal sense
From this reading But Corder's back was against the wall, literally and metaphorically.
metaphoricallyadverbUS /ˌmetəˈfɔːrɪkli/
in a metaphorical manner
From this reading But Corder's back was against the wall, literally and metaphorically.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
not any; not one
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
refusalnounUS /rəˈfjuːzəl/
the act of refusing
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
and nothing more
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
express in words
From this reading Go and tell him to come, Brinkman."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
the act of using
From this reading It's no use simply cutting him; he'll have to be taught that he can't defy the house for nothing.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading But Corder's back was against the wall, literally and metaphorically.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But Corder's back was against the wall, literally and metaphorically.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading To Brinkman's demand (almost the first voice he had heard speaking to him for a week) he returned a curt refusal.
(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 "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Well," said Clapperton, "they will keep; but we must have it out with Corder now.
