used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
acquaintancesnounUS /əˈkweɪntənsɪz/
plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
in the past
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
a quantity of money
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
awenounUS /ɑː/
an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
an occurrence of something
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
eccentricitiesnounUS /ˌeksenˈtrɪsɪtiz/
plural of “eccentricity” — strange and unconventional behavior
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
divisible by two
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
exteriornounUS /ɪkˈstɪriər/
the region that is outside of something
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
fathomverbUS /ˈfæðəm/
come to understand
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
a boy or man
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
depressingly dark
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
hermitnounUS /ˈhɜːrmət/
one retired from society for religious reasons
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
housekeepernounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpər/
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
and nothing more
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
Krespel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
engage in
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
over-familiarity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/
possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
cut with a saw
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
shadyadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪdi/
quiet, dark, or concealed
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
in the near future
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
that is looked for
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading His eccentricities soon attracted people's attention, and, when he saw this, he soon sought and made acquaintances.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
troublesomeadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəlsəm/
causing difficulty or annoyance
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
precisely as stated
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
(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 "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In spite of his rough exterior even the children got fond of him, though they were never troublesome to him, but always looked upon him with a certain amount of awe which prevented over-familiarity.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
at the time that
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Just as was the case in _my_ house, people got so accustomed to him that they couldn't get on without him.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "'Well, _that_,' said the Professor, 'is an affair which would make me have a very shady opinion of Krespel, if I didn't know what a thoroughly good fellow he is; so that I feel convinced there is some mystery about it which we don't at present fathom.
a late time of life
From this reading When he first came here some years ago, he lived like a hermit, with an old housekeeper, in a gloomy house in ----Street.
