used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
allegedadjectiveUS /əˈledʒd/
declared but not proved
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
auditornounUS /ˈɔːdɪtər/
someone who listens attentively
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
CatholicadjectiveUS /ˈkæθlɪk/
of or relating to or supporting Catholicism
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
confessionalnounUS /kənˈfeʃənəl/
a booth where a priest sits to hear confessions
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
the act of discovering something
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
eventfuladjectiveUS /ɪˈventfəl/
full of events or incidents
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
at any time
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
FredericknounUS /ˈfredrɪk/
a town in northern Maryland to the west of Baltimore
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
gallowsnounUS /ˈɡæloʊz/
an instrument of execution consisting of a wooden frame from which a condemned person is executed by hanging
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
Hampstead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
intimationnounUS /ˌɪntəˈmeɪʃən/
an indirect suggestion
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
Jenny'snounUS /ˈdʒeniz/
possessive form of “jenny” — United States architect who designed the first skyscraper in which a metal skeleton was used (1832-1907)
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
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 How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading How he ever got back to Hampstead on that eventful afternoon, he never knew.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
purposelyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrpəsli/
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
rapidadjectiveUS /ˈræpəd/
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
revelationnounUS /ˌrevəˈleɪʃən/
the speech act of making something evident
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
secrecynounUS /ˈsiːkrəsi/
the trait of keeping things secret
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was but one chance for him--the alleged secrecy of the confessional.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
thrustingnounUS /ˈθrʌstɪŋ/
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
Walcheren
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The discovery was as great a shock to him as his revelation had been to his auditor.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He had known so little of Frederick Walcheren before Jenny’s death, and he had so purposely avoided thrusting himself in his way afterwards, that he had not had the slightest intimation that he had entered the Catholic Church as a priest.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
at the time that
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
whirlverbUS /wɜːrl/
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading His head and heart were in as rapid a whirl as they had been when he committed the murder; the murder which, he now made sure, would, sooner or later, land him on the gallows.
