used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading "It was this that filled me with astonishment--with horror.
attemptingverbUS /əˈtemptɪŋ/
-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt
From this reading "Without attempting to explain it, I bethought me of what was best to be done.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Without attempting to explain it, I bethought me of what was best to be done.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading "Besides, why had the head been cut off?
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading "Without attempting to explain it, I bethought me of what was best to be done.
bethought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Without attempting to explain it, I bethought me of what was best to be done.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading "Besides, why had the head been cut off?
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
at any time
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "Without attempting to explain it, I bethought me of what was best to be done.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading "It was this that filled me with astonishment--with horror.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
grudgenounUS /ɡrʌdʒ/
a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "Besides, why had the head been cut off?
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
intense and profound fear
From this reading "It was this that filled me with astonishment--with horror.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It was this that filled me with astonishment--with horror.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It was this that filled me with astonishment--with horror.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "I never had.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Besides, why had the head been cut off?
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
Poindexter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
an angry dispute
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
To recall to mind.
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
action taken in return for an injury or offense
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "It was this that filled me with astonishment--with horror.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It was this that filled me with astonishment--with horror.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Without attempting to explain it, I bethought me of what was best to be done.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Besides, why had the head been cut off?
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "Without attempting to explain it, I bethought me of what was best to be done.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "I came to the conclusion: that the deed must have been done for the satisfaction of some spite or revenge; and I tried to remember whether I had ever heard of any one having a quarrel with young Poindexter, or a grudge against him.
