used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
not being in a specified place
From this reading He had been vague as to how long he would be absent.
Ahmed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
arrivingverbUS /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/
-ing form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had been vague as to how long he would be absent.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
awningnounUS /ˈɑːnɪŋ/
a canopy made of canvas to shelter people or things from rain or sun
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He had been vague as to how long he would be absent.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
unvarying in nature
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
DiananounUS /daɪˈænə/
English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading She was wrought up to the utmost pitch of excitement.
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
followersnounUS /ˈfɑːloʊərz/
a group of followers or enthusiasts
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
Gaston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
the act of departing
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
Hassan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been vague as to how long he would be absent.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He had been vague as to how long he would be absent.
messengersnounUS /ˈmesəndʒərz/
plural of “messenger” — a person who carries a message
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
nervouslyadverbUS /ˈnɜːrvəsli/
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading She was wrought up to the utmost pitch of excitement.
preoccupiedadjectiveUS /priˈɑːkjəpaɪd/
deeply absorbed in thought
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
pullingnounUS /ˈpʊlɪŋ/
the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
riding-gloves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was wrought up to the utmost pitch of excitement.
SheiknounUS /ʃiːk/
the leader of an Arab village or family
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She was wrought up to the utmost pitch of excitement.
uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading There had been a constant coming and going amongst his followers--messengers arriving on exhausted horses at all hours of the day and night, and the Sheik himself had seemed unusually preoccupied.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She was wrought up to the utmost pitch of excitement.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading She was wrought up to the utmost pitch of excitement.
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading He had been vague as to how long he would be absent.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Under the awning of the tent Diana was waiting for Gaston and the horses, pulling on her thick riding-gloves nervously.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Ahmed Ben Hassan had been away since the previous day and it was uncertain if he would return that night or the next.
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
From this reading She was wrought up to the utmost pitch of excitement.
