used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "You see, a motive had been established.
benefitsnounUS /ˈbenəfɪts/
plural of “benefit” — financial assistance in time of need
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
the two together, not just one
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
clumsyadjectiveUS /ˈklʌmzi/
lacking grace in movement or posture
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
confrères
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
ConstablenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəbəl/
a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
CrescentnounUS /ˈkresənt/
any shape resembling the curved shape of the moon in its first or last quarters
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
crimesnounUS /kraɪmz/
plural of “crime” — (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading "You see, a motive had been established.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
Funnell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
gallowsnounUS /ˈɡæloʊz/
an instrument of execution consisting of a wooden frame from which a condemned person is executed by hanging
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "You see, a motive had been established.
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
a sacred place of pilgrimage
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
inevitablyadverbUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbli/
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
Marylebone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But there was something more than that.
MOTIVEnounUS /ˈmoʊtɪv/
the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
novicenounUS /ˈnɑːvəs/
someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
obviouslyadverbUS /ˈɑːbviəsli/
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
perpetratorsnounUS /ˈpɜːrpətreɪtərz/
plural of “perpetrator” — someone who perpetrates wrongdoing
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
PortlandnounUS /ˈpɔːrtlənd/
freshwater port and largest city in Oregon; located in northwestern Oregon on the Willamette River which divides the city into east and west sections; renowned for its beautiful natural setting among the mountains
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
purposelessadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrpəsləs/
not evidencing any purpose or goal
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
Regent's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
express in words
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "You see, a motive had been established.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
try to get or reach
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading But there was something more than that.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But there was something more than that.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But there was something more than that.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
TrinitynounUS /ˈtrɪnəti/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "Constable James Funnell, on his beat, turned from Portland Place into Park Crescent a few minutes after he had heard the clock at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, strike half-past two.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But there was something more than that.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'Seek him whom the crime benefits,' say our French _confrères_.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading THE MOTIVE "Now at first sight the murder in the Regent's Park appeared both to police and public as one of those silly, clumsy crimes, obviously the work of a novice, and absolutely purposeless, seeing that it could but inevitably lead its perpetrators, without any difficulty, to the gallows.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You see, a motive had been established.
