AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
absolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am at a standstill and I don’t care who knows it.”
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
ATprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
BristolnounUS /ˈbrɪstəl/
an industrial city and port in southwestern England near the mouth of the River Avon
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
carenounUS /ker/
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading I am at a standstill and I don’t care who knows it.”
casenounUS /keɪs/
an occurrence of something
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
Cavanagh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Not the slightest, Mr. Cavanagh.
cluenounUS /kluː/
a slight indication
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
detectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
DexteradjectiveUS /ˈdekstər/
on or starting from the wearer's right
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
EarlnounUS /ɜːrl/
a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/
a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
gulpverbUS /ɡʌlp/
to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
InspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/
a high ranking police officer
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I am at a standstill and I don’t care who knows it.”
knowsnounUS /noʊz/
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading I am at a standstill and I don’t care who knows it.”
massiveadjectiveUS /ˈmæsɪv/
imposing in size or bulk or solidity
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
MIDNIGHTnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading “Not the slightest, Mr. Cavanagh.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
NotadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Not the slightest, Mr. Cavanagh.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
pretendverbUS /priˈtend/
make believe with the intent to deceive
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
RAPPINGverbUS /ˈræpɪŋ/
inflected form of “rap” — strike sharply
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
slightestadjectiveUS /ˈslaɪtəst/
superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some
From this reading “Not the slightest, Mr. Cavanagh.
smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
standstillnounUS /ˈstændstɪl/
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
From this reading I am at a standstill and I don’t care who knows it.”
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
whereaboutsnounUS /ˈwerəbaʊts/
the general location where something is
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
whiskynounUS /ˈwɪski/
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading I am at a standstill and I don’t care who knows it.”
workverbUS /wɜːrk/
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “The detective of fiction would be hard at work on this case, now,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t even pretend to be.
yawningadjectiveUS /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/
gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something
From this reading A RAPPING AT MIDNIGHT Inspector Bristol finished his whisky at a gulp and stood up, a tall, massive figure, stretching himself and yawning.
YoupronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You have absolutely no clue to the whereabouts of Earl Dexter?”
