used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From a great ship in midocean they had disappeared.
abductionnounUS /æbˈdʌkʃən/
the criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force a family member; if a man's wife is abducted it is a crime against the family relationship and against the wife
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
actorsnounUS /ˈæktərz/
plural of “actor” — a theatrical performer
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
lacking funds
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading From a great ship in midocean they had disappeared.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
divisible by two
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
set up or found
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From a great ship in midocean they had disappeared.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading From a great ship in midocean they had disappeared.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
hystericallyadverbUS /ˌhɪˈsterɪkli/
in a hysterical manner
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
midocean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From a great ship in midocean they had disappeared.
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/
any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
reactionnounUS /riˈækʃən/
(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
scoundrelnounUS /ˈskaʊndrəl/
a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
transport commercially
From this reading From a great ship in midocean they had disappeared.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
suspensenounUS /səˈspens/
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
telegramnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From a great ship in midocean they had disappeared.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three weeks of waiting, waiting.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Three weeks of waiting, waiting.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading The suspense had been so keenly terrible that the sudden reaction left him almost hysterically weak.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Three weeks of waiting, waiting.
at the time that
From this reading When Jones received the telegram that Florence was safe, the iron nerve of the man broke down.
which person or people
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Not even the scoundrel and his wife who had been the principal actors in the abduction had been found.
