used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
Alders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
brightestadjectiveUS /ˈbraɪtəst/
superlative of “bright” — emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
ChristienounUS /ˈkrɪsti/
prolific English writer of detective stories (1890-1976)
From this reading “At last, Miss Christie!
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
dispelledverbUS /dɪˈspeld/
inflected form of “dispel” — force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
humors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
and nothing more
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
immediately past
From this reading “At last, Miss Christie!
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “At last, Miss Christie!
a form of address for a man
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
overheardverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhɜːrd/
inflected form of “overhear” — hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
Rayner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
Reade
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
refugenounUS /ˈrefjuːdʒ/
a safe place
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
get rid of
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He caught sight of me first as he came under the roof of the dark shed.
a message informing of danger
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
the words that are spoken
From this reading In spite of the rain and the mud, Mr. Rayner was in the brightest of humors; and his first words dispelled my fear that he might have overheard the warning Mr. Reade had just given me not to stay at the Alders.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading But how in the world did you discover this place of refuge?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It was a happy thought of mine to look for you here.
