used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
acquiredadjectiveUS /əˈkwaɪərd/
gotten through environmental forces
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
affectverbUS /əˈfekt/
have an effect upon
From this reading Nevertheless, though he was quite alone, he had to affect that the telephone was his bane.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Nevertheless, though he was quite alone, he had to affect that the telephone was his bane.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
ArtistsnounUS /ˈɑːrtɪsts/
plural of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
banenounUS /beɪn/
something causing misery or death
From this reading Nevertheless, though he was quite alone, he had to affect that the telephone was his bane.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
DavidsnounUS /ˈdeɪvɪdz/
plural of “david” — patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
drawing-board
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
continuing forever or indefinitely
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
the state or fact of existing
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
fatiguedadjectiveUS /fəˈtiːɡd/
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
George'snounUS /ˈdʒɔːrdʒəz/
possessive form of “george” — Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
instrumentnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənt/
a device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
IsaacnounUS /ˈaɪzək/
(Old Testament) the second patriarch; son of Abraham and Sarah who was offered by Abraham as a sacrifice to God; father of Jacob and Esau
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
MuseumnounUS /mjuːˈziːəm/
a depository for collecting and displaying objects having scientific or historical or artistic value
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Nevertheless, though he was quite alone, he had to affect that the telephone was his bane.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
and nothing more
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
pretendingnounUS /priˈtendɪŋ/
the act of giving a false appearance
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
principal'snounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəlz/
possessive form of “principal” — the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Nevertheless, though he was quite alone, he had to affect that the telephone was his bane.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
on the contrary
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
ROLL-CALL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
romanticadjectiveUS /roʊˈmæntɪk/
belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the Romantic Movement in the arts
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
express in speech
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
summonsnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/
a request to be present
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Nevertheless, though he was quite alone, he had to affect that the telephone was his bane.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ROLL-CALL I The telephone rang in the principal's room of George's office in Museum Street.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Nevertheless, though he was quite alone, he had to affect that the telephone was his bane.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As a fact he was not really busy; he was only pretending to be busy; and he rather enjoyed the summons of the telephone, with its eternal promise of some romantic new turn of existence.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He raised his head from the drawing-board with the false gesture of fatigued impatience which, as a business man, he had long since acquired, and took the instrument.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Can Sir Isaac Davids speak to you, sir, from the Artists Club?"
