Chapter XX · Chapter 20

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

Having no one else present.

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

brought into existence

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

confined by bonds

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

plural of “captor” — a person who captures and holds people or animals

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

a series of things depending on each other as if linked together

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

-ing form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

American breed of chicken having barred grey plumage raised for meat and brown eggs

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

following immediately and as a result of what went before

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

a person who breeds and trains hawks and who follows the sport of falconry

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

shining unsteadily

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

not fake or counterfeit

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

a young female

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

moving with great haste

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

of the present time and place

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

United States composer noted for his innovative use of polytonality (1874-1954)

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

a small worthless amount

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

having abundant light or illumination

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

a golf course that is built on sandy ground near a shore

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

the force of workers available

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

being nothing more than specified

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

reduced in size as by squeezing together

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

inflected form of “omit” — prevent from being included or considered or accepted

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

and nothing more

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

a rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys; is obtained as a by-product in refining molybdenum

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

the place where some action occurs

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

express a supposition

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

in a swift manner

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

warm friendly feelings of gratitude

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading IN THE DARK I thought of a number of things in the ensuing thirty seconds, but they all narrowed down swiftly to a mere thankfulness that I had been born.

the pursuit (of a person or animal) by following tracks or marks they left behind

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was extremely hard for me to believe that the scene was genuine.

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

indecision in speech or action

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Suppose I hadn’t; or suppose I had not happened to stop at the St. Ives Hotel and sail on the _Re d’Italia_; or that I had remained in Rome with Jack Herriott instead of hurrying on to Paris; or had let my quest of the girl end in the rue St.-Dominique instead of trailing her to Bleau.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The dark hall, the one wavering, flickering candle lighting only the immediate area of our conference, the bound woman in the chair, the watchful attitude of our captors.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading If one of these links had been omitted, the chain of circumstance would have been broken, and Miss Falconer would have sat here confronting these four men alone.