used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
conceivingverbUS /kənˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “conceive” — have the idea for
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
corpsenounUS /kɔːrps/
the dead body of a human being
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
placed crosswise
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
declare untrue; contradict
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
disordernounUS /dɪˈsɔːrdər/
a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
gesturesnounUS /ˈdʒestʃərz/
plural of “gesture” — motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
destroyed or killed
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading None but a phantom could have passed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
impossibilitynounUS /ˌɪmpɔːsɪˈbɪlɪti/
incapability of existing or occurring
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
the act of departing
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
MarquisnounUS /ˌmɑːrˈkiː/
humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
masteredadjectiveUS /ˈmæstərd/
understood perfectly
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
MEDALnounUS /ˈmedəl/
an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
miraclenounUS /ˈmɪrəkəl/
any amazing or wonderful occurrence
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
murderousadjectiveUS /ˈmɜːrdərəs/
characteristic of or capable of or having a tendency toward killing another human being
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
not any; not one
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
not one, and not any
From this reading None but a phantom could have passed.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
outcriesnounUS /ˈaʊtkraɪz/
plural of “outcry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading None but a phantom could have passed.
phantomnounUS /ˈfæn.təm/
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading None but a phantom could have passed.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
provokedadjectiveUS /prəˈvoʊkt/
incited, especially deliberately, to anger
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
restrainedadjectiveUS /riˈstreɪnd/
cool and formal in manner
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
resurrectionnounUS /ˌrezərˈekʃən/
(New Testament) the rising of Christ on the third day after the Crucifixion
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
sensationaladjectiveUS /senˈseɪʃənəl/
causing intense interest, curiosity, or emotion
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
smotheredadjectiveUS /ˈsmʌðərd/
held in check with difficulty
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
thresholdnounUS /ˈθreʃoʊld/
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
transformedadjectiveUS /trænˈsfɔːrmd/
given a completely different form or appearance
From this reading The impossible resurrection of the Marquis was transformed into a miracle of death quite as impossible; but they could not deny this miracle since it had taken place before their eyes.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
which person or people
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In truth, they had the impression, since no living being had entered, that death itself had stepped over the threshold, crossed the room to the man, struck him in their presence with its invisible hand, and then gone away, leaving the murderous weapon in the corpse.
witnessedverbUS /ˈwɪtnəst/
past form of “witness” — be a witness to
From this reading THE FOURTH MEDAL Violent though this sensational turn was, it provoked from those who witnessed it neither outcries nor disorder.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Something mastered their terror, smothered their words, and restrained their gestures: the impossibility of conceiving how this murder had been committed.
