used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
of short duration or distance
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
placed crosswise
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
a movement into or inward
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
opinion or judgment
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
fixingnounUS /ˈfɪksɪŋ/
the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
a man of refinement
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading I inquired.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
mysteriouslyadverbUS /ˌmɪˈstɪriəsli/
in a cryptic manner
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
being perceived or observed
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
a person who requires medical care
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
on the contrary
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
cut with a saw
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
signorenounUS /siˈnjɔːreɪ/
an Italian title of respect for a man; equivalent to the English “sir”; used separately (not prefixed to his name)
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
sniffedverbUS /snɪft/
past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He examined him, asked me a few brief questions, and then fixing his eyes upon me, exclaimed in Italian:-- "This is a rather curious affair, signore."
close enough to be walked to
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "The gentleman was taken this evening while we were walking together.
which person or people
From this reading On entering the room I noticed that the doctor sniffed the air mysteriously as he crossed to the patient, who I now saw was unconscious.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why?"
