used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
agitateverbUS /ˈædʒəteɪt/
try to stir up public opinion
From this reading “Sima, don’t agitate yourself,” he repeated.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
annoyedadjectiveUS /əˈnɔɪd/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading He was confused and annoyed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
a period of 100 years
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading He was confused and annoyed.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Sima, don’t agitate yourself,” he repeated.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
come to pass
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
irrelevancenounUS /ˌɪˈreləvəns/
the lack of a relation of something to the matter at hand
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
miraclenounUS /ˈmɪrəkəl/
any amazing or wonderful occurrence
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
miraclesnounUS /ˈmɪrəkəlz/
plural of “miracle” — any amazing or wonderful occurrence
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
Modestovich
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the eighteenth in position
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
not any; not one
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
recurring again and again
From this reading “Sima, don’t agitate yourself,” he repeated.
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
Sergei
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
SimanounUS /ˈsiːmə/
rock that form the continuous lower layer of the earth's crust; rich in silicon and magnesium
From this reading “Sima, don’t agitate yourself,” he repeated.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
unseemlyadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːmli/
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sergei Modestovich looked round him cautiously: he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
the words that are spoken
From this reading No sooner had he said these words than Sergei Modestovich felt their irrelevance to what had happened.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “This would be a miracle, and miracles do not happen in the nineteenth century.”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “Sima, don’t agitate yourself,” he repeated.
