Chapter XX · Chapter 20

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

Having no one else present.

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

having no known name or identity or known source

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

from appearances alone

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

for the reason that

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

an occurrence of something

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

plural of “cough” — a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

recognizable; marked

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

interchangeable with “means” in the expression “by means of”

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

superlative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ; celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance)

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

a human being

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

bring forth or yield

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

-ing form of “punctuate” — insert punctuation marks into

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

a string of beads used in counting prayers (especially by Catholics)

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

appearing as such but not necessarily so

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

plural of “smith” — Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading By dint of stammering, and punctuating his sentences with short, dry coughs, he made "a clean breast," as he called it, of the "whole business."

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

the words that are spoken

From this reading THE DEVIL'S ROSARY Ruthven Smith summoned courage to ask for a few words alone with Knight that Easter morning, in order to explain as well as apologize for the "seeming liberty he had taken."

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Having got so far in his story, Ruthven Smith decided that the easiest way of finishing it would be to produce the letter.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Whether they were aware of its identity, the writer was not sure; but in any case their ownership of the jewel was kept secret.

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading He had come to Valley House, he confessed, because of an anonymous letter, written apparently by a person of education, to inform him that the Malindore diamond had come into the possession of the Nelson Smiths.