used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
astuteadjectiveUS /əˈstuːt/
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
Belknap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “And they’re the Big Noise, nowadays,” Belknap returned, unruffled.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
Cherchez
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading You make a noise like a Detective Story.”
detective'snounUS /dɪˈtektɪvz/
possessive form of “detective” — a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
didacticallyadverb
in a didactic manner
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
DistrustnounUS /dɪˈstrʌst/
doubt about someone's honesty
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
femme
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
hackneyedadjectiveUS /ˈhæknid/
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading You make a noise like a Detective Story.”
engage in
From this reading You make a noise like a Detective Story.”
Mansfield's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading You make a noise like a Detective Story.”
nowadaysnounUS /ˈnaʊədeɪz/
the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
From this reading “And they’re the Big Noise, nowadays,” Belknap returned, unruffled.
obviousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbviəs/
easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
phrasenounUS /freɪz/
an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
PrescottnounUS /ˈpreskɑːt/
a town in central Arizona
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading “And they’re the Big Noise, nowadays,” Belknap returned, unruffled.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
sniffedverbUS /snɪft/
past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs Mansfield’s Story “Distrust the obvious, Prescott,” said Belknap, didactically.
they're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And they’re the Big Noise, nowadays,” Belknap returned, unruffled.
unruffledadjectiveUS /ənˈrʌfəld/
free from emotional agitation or nervous tension
From this reading “And they’re the Big Noise, nowadays,” Belknap returned, unruffled.
being of use or service
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading “It is the astute detective’s weak point that he cannot see beyond the apparent—the evident—the obvious.”
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
an affirmative
From this reading “Oh, yes,” Prescott sniffed; “distrust the obvious is as hackneyed a phrase as _Cherchez la femme!_ and about as useful in our every day work.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You make a noise like a Detective Story.”
