Chapter I

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

Having no one else present.

From this reading They were alone.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

having a base

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

serving as an essential component

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

inflected form of “chat” — talk socially without exchanging too much information

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

without taking pains

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

divisible by two

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

give expression to

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

past form of “frequent” — do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

a single distinct event

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

a room where books are kept

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the force of workers available

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

United States tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the 1920s and 1930s (1905-1998)

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

in addition to what has just been said

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

used to form the superlative

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

four performers or singers who perform together

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

only a very short time before

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

not often

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

open and genuine; not deceitful

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

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 _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

an acknowledgment of appreciation

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were alone.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were alone.

at the time that

From this reading Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

hope for; have a wish

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight.

United States writer of detective novels (1888-1939)

From this reading _The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks._ Four men sat in the smoking-room of a London club.