used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
admirableadjectiveUS /ˈædmərəbəl/
deserving of the highest esteem or admiration
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
(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 "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
cool-headed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading "'At least,' he said, rallying his courage, 'do not insult me.'
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
desperationnounUS /ˌdespərˈeɪʃən/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "'At least,' he said, rallying his courage, 'do not insult me.'
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
exhibitingverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪbɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “exhibit” — show an attribute, property, knowledge, or skill
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
fencernoun
someone skilled at fencing
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
feverishlyadverbUS /ˈfevərɪʃli/
in a feverish manner
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
giftedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪftəd/
endowed with talent or talents
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
not accessible to view
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "'At least,' he said, rallying his courage, 'do not insult me.'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Something of the mountebank in this.'
insultnounUS /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/
a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
From this reading "'At least,' he said, rallying his courage, 'do not insult me.'
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading "'At least,' he said, rallying his courage, 'do not insult me.'
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
mountebanknoun
a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes
From this reading Something of the mountebank in this.'
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
rallyingnounUS /ˈræliɪŋ/
the act of mobilizing for a common purpose
From this reading "'At least,' he said, rallying his courage, 'do not insult me.'
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
the display of a motion picture
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something of the mountebank in this.'
stakenounUS /steɪk/
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
temperatelyadverb
with restraint
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Something of the mountebank in this.'
treacherynounUS /ˈtretʃ.ər.i/
Betrayal of trust; deceptive action or disloyalty against a host or ally.
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading You were proud of showing your skill, as you were of exhibiting every admirable quality with which you are gifted.
which person or people
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
belonging to which person
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
fermented juice (of grapes especially)
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
wiselyadverbUS /ˈwaɪzli/
in a wise manner
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE HIDDEN CRIME "He drank the wine, not wisely or temperately as a cool-headed man whose life was at stake would have done, but hastily, feverishly, and with an air of desperation.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'You are a good fencer,' I said, 'the best among all the friends who visited me during the days of your treachery.
