used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
accessorynounUS /ækˈsesəri/
clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Herr Braun acted as spokesman.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last the Baroness roused herself.
BaronessnounUS /ˈberənɪs/
a noblewoman who holds the rank of baron or who is the wife or widow of a baron
From this reading At last the Baroness roused herself.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
BraunnounUS /brɔːn/
the German mistress of Adolf Hitler (1910-1945)
From this reading Herr Braun acted as spokesman.
broodingnounUS /ˈbruːdɪŋ/
sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
closetedverbUS /ˈklɑːzətɪd/
past form of “closet” — confine to a small space, as for intensive work
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
commandeeredverbUS /ˌkɑːmənˈdɪrd/
past form of “commandeer” — take arbitrarily or by force
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
conferencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfərəns/
a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
confrontedverbUS /kənˈfrʌntəd/
past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
debaseverbUS /dəˈbeɪs/
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
Director-General
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
directorsnounUS /dərˈektərz/
plural of “director” — someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
disastersnounUS /dɪˈzæstərz/
plural of “disaster” — a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
engineernounUS /ˈendʒəˈnɪr/
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
equalsnounUS /ˈiːkwəlz/
plural of “equal” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
extraordinarilyadverbUS /ekˌstrɔːrdəˈnerəli/
extremely
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
fouladjectiveUS /faʊl/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
Franz
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
HerrnounUS /her/
a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English
From this reading Herr Braun acted as spokesman.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading At last the Baroness roused herself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
holiestadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊliɪst/
superlative of “holy” — belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
immediately past
From this reading At last the Baroness roused herself.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
mankindnounUS /ˈmænˈkaɪnd/
all of the living human inhabitants of the earth
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
master'snounUS /ˈmæstərz/
possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
maternaladjectiveUS /məˈtɜːrnəl/
characteristic of a mother
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
used to form the superlative
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
perturbedadjectiveUS /pərˈtɜːrbd/
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
past form of “rouse” — become active
From this reading At last the Baroness roused herself.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
sentimentsnounUS /ˈsentəmənts/
plural of “sentiment” — tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
shornadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrn/
having the hair or wool cut or clipped off as if with shears or clippers
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
spokesmannounUS /ˈspoʊksmən/
a male spokesperson
From this reading Herr Braun acted as spokesman.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
warrantsnounUS /ˈwɔːrənts/
plural of “warrant” — a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I was admitted after the War Lord had left to be closeted with the Director-General," replied the engineer, "and the directors seemed to me extraordinarily perturbed—far more than the master’s death warrants among equals.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
people who are wounded
From this reading These two people, suddenly confronted by the unexpected—a wife shorn of her rights and wounded in her holiest maternal sentiments; an honest man commandeered to debase his genius and become an accessory to murder most foul—sat for a while in silence, brooding over their misfortune and the disasters threatening mankind as a consequence.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And what did they want with you at the conference, Franz?"
