used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
rid of obstructions
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
compunctionnounUS /kəmˈpʌŋkʃən/
a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed)
From this reading It was no matter of scruple or compunction; of that he never dreamed.
COPnounUS /kɑːp/
uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
debatedverbUS /dəˈbeɪtɪd/
past form of “debate” — argue with one another
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
cause to be slowed down or delayed
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
dosenounUS /doʊs/
a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading It was no matter of scruple or compunction; of that he never dreamed.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
enterprisenounUS /ˈentərpraɪz/
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
accept an excuse for
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
hangingsnounUS /ˈhæŋɡɪŋz/
plural of “hanging” — decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
inactivitynounUS /ˌɪnækˈtɪvɪti/
the state of being inactive
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
insufficientadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/
of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
insupportableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsəˈpɔːrtəbəl/
incapable of being justified or explained
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
intolerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/
incapable of being tolerated or endured
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
lodgingsnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz/
temporary living quarters
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading It was no matter of scruple or compunction; of that he never dreamed.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
easily agitated
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading It was no matter of scruple or compunction; of that he never dreamed.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
not any; not one
From this reading It was no matter of scruple or compunction; of that he never dreamed.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
on one occasion
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It was no matter of scruple or compunction; of that he never dreamed.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
perilsnounUS /ˈperəlz/
plural of “peril” — a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
physicnoun
a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
postponementnounUS /poʊstˈpoʊnmənt/
time during which some action is awaited
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
preparationnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃən/
the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
determined
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
scruplenounUS /ˈskruːpəl/
a unit of apothecary weight equal to 20 grains
From this reading It was no matter of scruple or compunction; of that he never dreamed.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
an idea that is suggested
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
suspensenounUS /səˈspens/
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
a special situation
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
tormentnounUS /ˈtɔːrment/
unbearable physical pain
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
a source of difficulty
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
vacantadjectiveUS /ˈveɪkənt/
void of intelligence or thought
From this reading But the enterprise was dangerous and novel, and, as the vacant hours passed, he imagined new perils and dreamed a dozen hangings.
Viney
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But now that the thing was resolved upon, and nothing remained to do in preparation, the suspense of inactivity became intolerable, and grew to torment.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading His reasons for the day's postponement now seemed wholly insufficient: it must have been, he debated with himself, that the first shock of the suggestion had driven him to the nearest excuse to put the job off, as it were a dose of bitter physic.
in the company of; together with
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading ON THE COP Once he had cut clear from his lodgings without delay and trouble, Viney fell into an insupportable nervous impatience, which grew with every minute.
