used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SINGULAR ADVENTURE ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading A SINGULAR ADVENTURE ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
apprehensiveadjectiveUS /ˌæprɪˈhensɪv/
quick to understand
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
Cleopatra'snounUS /ˌkliːəˈpætrəz/
possessive form of “cleopatra” — beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
contemplatingverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
EMBANKMENTnounUS /emˈbæŋkmənt/
a long artificial mound of stone or earth; built to hold back water or to support a road or as protection
From this reading A SINGULAR ADVENTURE ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
executionnounUS /ˌeksəˈkjuːʃən/
putting a condemned person to death
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
expeditiousadjectiveUS /ˌekspəˈdɪʃəs/
marked by speed and efficiency
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
favorableadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪvərəbəl/
encouraging or approving or pleasing
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
past form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
a particular point in time
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
NeedlenounUS /ˈniːdəl/
the leaf of a conifer
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
not any; not one
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A SINGULAR ADVENTURE ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
a human being
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
rampartsnounUS /ˈræmpɑːrts/
plural of “rampart” — an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
reporternounUS /rɪˈpɔːrtər/
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
cut with a saw
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
unusual or striking
From this reading A SINGULAR ADVENTURE ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
having a supporting base
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
stoopingadjectiveUS /ˈstuːpɪŋ/
having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
suicidenounUS /ˈsuːəsaɪd/
the act of killing yourself
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
THAMESnounUS /temz/
the longest river in England; flows eastward through London to the North Sea
From this reading A SINGULAR ADVENTURE ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A SINGULAR ADVENTURE ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
in or at that place or location
From this reading If so she had chosen a favorable moment to put her sad design into execution, for there was no person near enough to prevent her had she been expeditious.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading "It had already been mentioned that the tide on this night was unusually high, and our reporter was apprehensive, from the position of the woman, that she was contemplating suicide.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The light of a lamp was shining upon her form, which was stooping forward in the direction of the river.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading "He saw before him, at a distance of some thirty yards, as nearly as he could judge, the figure of a woman standing upon the stone ramparts of the Embankment, close to Cleopatra's Needle.
