Chapter IX

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

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

to or in a foreign country

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

later than; following

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

anew

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

(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 Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

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

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

the two together, not just one

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

in a brisk manner

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

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

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

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

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

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

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

a feeling of disliking something or what someone is doing

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

plural of “drunkard” — a chronic drinker

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

coming to maturity

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

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

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

plural of “flurry” — a rapid active commotion

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

the act of giving

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

abounding in grass

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

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

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

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

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

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

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

occurring or falling between events or points in time

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

a man who is a native or inhabitant of Ireland

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

the force of workers available

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

in a cryptic manner

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

happening every night

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

no person; not anyone

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

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

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

the month following September and preceding November

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

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

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

something having the property of being analogous to something else

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

of a stringed instrument; sounded with the fingers or a plectrum

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

precisely, exactly

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

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

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

an elevated geological formation

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

in the near future

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

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

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

not in physical motion

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

United States architect and student of Latrobe (1787-1854)

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

-ing form of “swoop” — move down on as if in an attack

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

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

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

in or at that place or location

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

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

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

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

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

in a way that was not expected

From this reading In the Cowgate there were still a few folk abroad, and a couple of drunkards, emerging unexpectedly from a close, all but knocked into the Prince.

up to a particular time

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

precisely as stated

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

close enough to be walked to

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

plural of “wall” — 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 They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Flurries of the October wind plucked at their cloaks as they went in the semi-darkness, sometimes swooping at them from the open grassy spaces of the King’s Park on their left, at others appearing to originate mysteriously in the tall line of houses of the Canongate with their intervening gardens on the right.

in the company of; together with

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading They met nobody until they came to the Cowgate Port, and, O’Sullivan again giving the word to the guard, were admitted within the town walls and the nightly stenches of Edinburgh proper.

showing curiosity

From this reading The three men followed him in silence down the narrow, twisting stair, Ewen bringing up the rear, and wondering why disapproval made one feel so old.

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading And, after O’Sullivan had given the word of the day and passed them out of Holyrood House, they were soon walking briskly, not up the Canongate itself, but up the slope parallel to it, the ‘back of the Canongate’, the Prince in front with the Irishman, Ewen behind with Strickland, both the latter very silent.