used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
AlexandernounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændər/
European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading He must be foiled before he had time to make another move.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
move towards
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
attorneysnounUS /əˈtɜːrniz/
plural of “attorney” — a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
Bancroft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He must be foiled before he had time to make another move.
BLUFFnounUS /blʌf/
a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
clewnoun
a ball of yarn or cord or thread
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
Conrad'snounUS /ˈkɑːnrædz/
possessive form of “conrad” — English novelist (born in Poland) noted for sea stories and for his narrative technique (1857-1924)
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
defiantadjectiveUS /dɪˈfaɪənt/
boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
desperationnounUS /ˌdespərˈeɪʃən/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
increase twofold
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
dulyadverbUS /ˈduːli/
in accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
foiledadjectiveUS /fɔɪld/
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading He must be foiled before he had time to make another move.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
forwardedverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərdɪd/
past form of “forward” — send or ship onward from an intermediate post or station in transit
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
inflexibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfleksəbəl/
incapable of change
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
engage in
From this reading He must be foiled before he had time to make another move.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He must be foiled before he had time to make another move.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He must be foiled before he had time to make another move.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/
not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
propel through the air
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading He had hoped so much from that money; and it had been thrown away!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading And time was precious, for, now that he and his detective knew so much, one clew that they might discover any day would throw the door wide open.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The man was inflexible, and to attempt to turn him from his deadly purpose by peaceful means would be a waste of time.
a late time of life
From this reading A DOUBLE BLUFF Alexander Bancroft read Conrad's defiant letter, duly forwarded by his Boston attorneys, with a nearer approach to desperation than he had known in years.
