used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
from appearances alone
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
astrayadverbUS /əˈstreɪ/
away from the right path or direction
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
carefully-planned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
plural of “case” — an occurrence of something
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
circumstantialadjectiveUS /ˌsɜːrkəmˈstænʃəl/
fully detailed and specific about particulars
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
cold-bloodedadjectiveUS /ˈkoʊldˈblʌdəd/
without compunction or human feeling
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
convincingadjectiveUS /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
causing one to believe the truth of something
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
travel across or pass over
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
definiteadjectiveUS /ˈdefənət/
precise; explicit and clearly defined
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
InspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/
a high ranking police officer
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
Margaret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
a human being
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
psychologicaladjectiveUS /ˌsaɪkəˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/
mental or emotional as opposed to physical in nature
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
purelyadverbUS /ˈpjʊrli/
restricted to something
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
on the contrary
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
responsibleadjectiveUS /riˈspɑːnsəbəl/
worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
Roger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/
from appearances alone
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
and nothing more
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
SolvesverbUS /sɑːlvz/
third-person singular of “solve” — find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading I felt, quite simply, that to suspect Margaret Cross of murder—and a seemingly cold-blooded, carefully-planned murder at that—was nothing short of ridiculous.
suspectingverbUS /səˈspektɪŋ/
-ing form of “suspect” — imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
Vane's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
precisely as stated
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Roger Solves the Mystery “Well, I’d better begin at the beginning,” said Roger.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I admit that I had nothing definite to go on; my reasons were purely psychological.
in or at the place that
From this reading The evidence was against her, of course, and badly, but there are some cases where circumstantial evidence, however apparently convincing, can lead one rather badly astray, and I was sure this was one of them.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Now, in the very first place I made up my mind, as you know, Inspector, that the person whom you seemed to be suspecting (whether you really did or not, I don’t know; but you certainly gave me that impression)—I made up my mind that that person was not responsible for Mrs. Vane’s death.
