used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SURPRISE.
abbenounUS /ˈæbi/
a French abbot
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
adversary's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
anew
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
berline
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
castigations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
chevaliernounUS /ˌʃevəˈlɪr/
French actor and cabaret singer (1888-1972)
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
craveverbUS /kreɪv/
have a craving, appetite, or great desire for
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
encouragementnounUS /enˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt/
the expression of approval and support
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
engrossedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈɡroʊst/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
the organ of sight
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
death of a person
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
journeyedverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrnid/
past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
full of life and energy
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
marquisnounUS /ˌmɑːrˈkiː/
humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
involving the mind or an intellectual process
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
MentornounUS /ˈmentɔːr/
a wise and trusted guide and advisor
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
miscalculateverbUS /mɪˈskælkjəleɪt/
judge incorrectly
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
easily agitated
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
occupantsnounUS /ˈɑːkjəpənts/
plural of “occupant” — someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
Pharamond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
playersnounUS /ˈpleɪərz/
plural of “player” — a person who participates in or is skilled at some game
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
quartetnounUS /kwɔːrˈtet/
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
any object that is left unused or still extant
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
solitudenounUS /ˈsɑːlətuːd/
a state of social isolation
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
speculationsnounUS /ˌspekjəˈleɪʃənz/
plural of “speculation” — a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading A SURPRISE.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
trumpverbUS /trʌmp/
produce a sound as if from a trumpet
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
uneasyadjectiveUS /əˈniːzi/
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading The chevalier was nervous and uneasy, having received severe mental castigations at the hands of brother Pharamond.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The quartet that journeyed back to solitude was not a lively one, for each of the four occupants of the travelling berline was fully engrossed by private speculations.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The abbe smiled and nodded encouragement at intervals, and then grew grave again, for he knew that he was on the point of playing a trump card, and players miscalculate sometimes as to what remains in the adversary's hand.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
wife'snounUS /waɪfs/
possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
wistfullyadverbUS /ˈwɪstfəli/
in a wistful manner
From this reading The marquis avoided his wife's eye, and glanced wistfully now and again at his Mentor, as though to crave support in some matter of which his conscience was afraid.
