used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading "The gentleman would like to see you, sir," the man announced.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
BEHINDprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
butlernounUS /ˈbʌtlər/
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "You can show him in at once," Peter replied.
one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
carelesslyadverbUS /ˈkerləsli/
without care or concern
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
denotesverbUS /dɪˈnoʊts/
third-person singular of “denote” — be a sign or indication of
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
floodnounUS /flʌd/
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
a man of refinement
From this reading "The gentleman would like to see you, sir," the man announced.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
Grost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
immersedverbUS /ˌɪˈmɜːrst/
past form of “immerse” — thrust or throw into
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "The gentleman would like to see you, sir," the man announced.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
on one occasion
From this reading "You can show him in at once," Peter replied.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading "You can show him in at once," Peter replied.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "You can show him in at once," Peter replied.
rigiditynounUS /rɪˈdʒɪdəti/
the physical property of being stiff and resisting bending
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "The gentleman would like to see you, sir," the man announced.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading The servant withdrew.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "You can show him in at once," Peter replied.
term of address for a man
From this reading "The gentleman would like to see you, sir," the man announced.
make square
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
under normal conditions
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Peter, during those few minutes of waiting, stood with his back to the room and his face to the window, looking out across the square, in reality seeing nothing, completely immersed in this strange flood of memories.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Baron de Grost glanced at the card which his butler had brought in to him, carelessly at first, afterwards with that curious rigidity of attention which usually denotes the setting free of a flood of memories.
withdrewverbUS /wɪθˈdruː/
inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading The servant withdrew.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "The gentleman would like to see you, sir," the man announced.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "The gentleman would like to see you, sir," the man announced.
