used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
arrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/
past form of “arrest” — take into custody
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
clientnounUS /ˈklaɪənt/
a person who seeks the advice of a lawyer
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
defendedverbUS /dɪˈfendəd/
past form of “defend” — argue or speak in defense of
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
dollarnounUS /ˈdɑːlər/
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
earnverbUS /ɜːrn/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading This, I have noticed, is a general peculiarity of lawbreakers.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
Gottlieb
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading This, I have noticed, is a general peculiarity of lawbreakers.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This, I have noticed, is a general peculiarity of lawbreakers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
lawbreakersnounUS /ˈlɔːbreɪkərz/
plural of “lawbreaker” — someone who violates the law
From this reading This, I have noticed, is a general peculiarity of lawbreakers.
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 The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
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 My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
McDuff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
being perceived or observed
From this reading This, I have noticed, is a general peculiarity of lawbreakers.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
something you have to do
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
partnernounUS /ˈpɑːrtnər/
a person's partner in marriage
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
peculiaritynounUS /pɪˌkjuːliˈerəti/
an odd or unusual characteristic
From this reading This, I have noticed, is a general peculiarity of lawbreakers.
premisesnounUS /ˈpreməsəz/
land and the buildings on it
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
QuibbleverbUS /ˈkwɪbəl/
evade the truth of a point or question by raising irrelevant objections
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
stealverbUS /stiːl/
take without the owner's consent
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This, I have noticed, is a general peculiarity of lawbreakers.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
a source of difficulty
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
uniqueadjectiveUS /juːˈniːk/
radically distinctive and without equal
From this reading One fine day he was arrested on the charge of having obtained money by false premises in an unique manner.
unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
vistanounUS /ˈvɪstə/
the visual percept of a region
From this reading The firm of Gottlieb & Quibble had not been long established before --quite by chance--a new vista of opportunity opened before us.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
which person or people
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The man's name was McDuff and my partner had defended him on several occasions and had got him off, with the result that he was always hanging about the office and asking if this and that were "within the law."
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading My partner had a wretched client who, not unlike many others, would go to more pains and trouble to steal a dollar than it would have taken him to earn twenty.
