used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
adjoiningverbUS /əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
Arthurjean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
Briggs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
ChangingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/
marked by continuous change or effective action
From this reading "Changing razor-blades," I confessed.
clean-cutadjective
neat and smart in appearance
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
confessedverbUS /kənˈfest/
past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading "Changing razor-blades," I confessed.
dabverbUS /dæb/
apply (usually a liquid) to a surface
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
damnadjectiveUS /dæm/
used as expletives
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
demurelyadverbUS /dɪˈmjʊrli/
in a demure manner
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
DeweynounUS /ˈduːi/
United States librarian who founded the decimal system of classification (1851-1931)
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
fortyish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
glass-topped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
grabverbUS /ɡræb/
take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
GrahamnounUS /ˈɡreɪəm/
United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Changing razor-blades," I confessed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
plumpadjectiveUS /plʌmp/
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
questionernounUS /ˈkwestʃənər/
someone who asks a question
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
razor-blades
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Changing razor-blades," I confessed.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
express in words
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
a special situation
From this reading "The damn thing slipped and before I knew it I made a grab for it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
typedverbUS /taɪpt/
past form of “type” — write by means of a keyboard with types
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
the topmost one of two
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
precisely as stated
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
Wasson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He sat across the glass-topped desk in my Wall Street Office, while Arthurjean Briggs typed demurely in the adjoining office.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Graham Wasson, plump, dark and fortyish, but very clean-cut and with a Dewey dab on his upper lip, was my questioner.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Say, old man, what happened to your hand?"
