used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Her husband gave a hearty inward assent.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
assentnounUS /əˈsent/
agreement with a statement or proposal to do something
From this reading Her husband gave a hearty inward assent.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
chronologynounUS /krəˈnɑːlədʒi/
an arrangement of events in time
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
recognizable; marked
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
dismissalnounUS /dɪˈsmɪsəl/
a judgment disposing of the matter without a trial
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
employernounUS /emˈplɔɪər/
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
divisible by two
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
feebleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːbəl/
pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Her husband gave a hearty inward assent.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading “I’m so glad of _that_!” said Nell Willing, softly.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
heartyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrti/
showing warm and heartfelt friendliness
From this reading Her husband gave a hearty inward assent.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Her husband gave a hearty inward assent.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m so glad of _that_!” said Nell Willing, softly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
intimatelyadverbUS /ˈɪntəmətli/
in a close manner
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
inwardadjectiveUS /ˈɪnwərd/
relating to or existing in the mind or thoughts
From this reading Her husband gave a hearty inward assent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
Knapp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Now she need never know.”
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading “Now she need never know.”
Nell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m so glad of _that_!” said Nell Willing, softly.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “Now she need never know.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Now she need never know.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/
possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
with speed
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’m so glad of _that_!” said Nell Willing, softly.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Now she need never know.”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “I’m so glad of _that_!” said Nell Willing, softly.
with low volume
From this reading “I’m so glad of _that_!” said Nell Willing, softly.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
express in words
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
tragicadjectiveUS /ˈtrædʒɪk/
very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the devil anyhow to be so intimately concerned in other people’s lives as an employer was.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading As they stepped quickly along in the dark, they tried to piece together the chronology of the late afternoon for Knapp and decided that this tragic ending to his feeble life must have come even before he could have seen his wife to tell her of his dismissal from the store.
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading “I’m so glad of _that_!” said Nell Willing, softly.
