used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
(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 It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
antecedentsnounUS /ˌæntɪˈsiːdənts/
plural of “antecedent” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
assistantsnounUS /əˈsɪstənts/
plural of “assistant” — a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
BaileynounUS /ˈbeɪli/
United States singer (1918-1990)
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
collusionnounUS /kəˈluːʒən/
secret agreement
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
cross-examined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
definiteadjectiveUS /ˈdefənət/
precise; explicit and clearly defined
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
doggedlyadverbUS /ˈdɔːɡədli/
with obstinate determination
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
elbownounUS /ˈelboʊ/
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
every person
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
plural of “habit” — an established custom
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
hypothesisnounUS /haɪˈpɑːθəsəs/
a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
impelledadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpeld/
urged or forced to action through moral pressure
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
a message received and understood
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
Labar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
LackingadjectiveUS /ˈlækɪŋ/
inadequate in amount or degree
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
immediately past
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
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 That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
the act of departing
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
a particular point in time
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
not any; not one
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
obeseadjectiveUS /oʊˈbiːs/
excessively fat
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
shorthandnounUS /ˈʃɔːrthænd/
a method of writing rapidly using an abbreviated symbolic system
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
a person, without saying who
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
suavitynoun
the quality of being bland and gracious or ingratiating in manner
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
sundryadjectiveUS /ˈsʌndri/
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
SuperficiallyadverbUS /ˈsuːpərfɪʃəli/
in a superficial manner
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
thievesnounUS /θiːvz/
plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Lacking any more definite line at the moment, Labar felt impelled to the theory that there had been collusion between the thieves and someone in the house.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
weednounUS /wiːd/
any plant that crowds out cultivated plants
From this reading It was for this reason that he doggedly set himself to interview all and sundry instead of leaving his assistants to weed them out.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading That at least furnished a working hypothesis which might be abandoned according to circumstances.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading With the shrewd suavity of an Old Bailey lawyer he examined and cross-examined, an obese shorthand writer at his elbow, until he had a complete surface knowledge, at any rate, of the movements of everyone in the house for the last twenty-four hours, and much information of their antecedents and habits.
yawnverbUS /jɔːn/
utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading Superficially, he had to admit, as he stretched himself with a yawn some hours later, there was no one he could suspect.
