used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
amazingadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/
surprising greatly
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
ASTOUNDINGadjectiveUS /əˈstaʊndɪŋ/
bewildering or striking dumb with wonder
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
bewildermentnounUS /bɪˈwɪldərmənt/
confusion resulting from failure to understand
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
buoyantadjectiveUS /ˈbɔɪənt/
tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading A mysterious and dastardly crime had evidently been committed there.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading A mysterious and dastardly crime had evidently been committed there.
dastardlyadjectiveUS /ˈdæstərdli/
despicably cowardly
From this reading A mysterious and dastardly crime had evidently been committed there.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
the act of discovering something
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading A mysterious and dastardly crime had evidently been committed there.
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
favoritenounUS /ˈfeɪvərɪt/
something regarded with special favor or liking
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
ghastlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡæstli/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
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 The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
of an obscure nature
From this reading A mysterious and dastardly crime had evidently been committed there.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
and nothing more
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
privacynounUS /ˈpraɪvəsi/
the quality of being secluded from the presence or view of others
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
one of four equal parts
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
RELATESverbUS /rɪˈleɪts/
third-person singular of “relate” — make a logical or causal connection
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
only a very short time before
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
speechlessadjectiveUS /ˈspiːtʃləs/
temporarily incapable of speaking
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
staggerverbUS /ˈstæɡər/
walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
not in physical motion
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A mysterious and dastardly crime had evidently been committed there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading RELATES SOME ASTOUNDING FACTS The amazing discovery held us in speechless bewilderment.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading The ghastly truth was so strange and unexpected as to utterly stagger belief.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I scarce knew what occurred during the quarter of an hour that immediately followed our astounding discovery.
which person or people
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The favorite of Fortune, who only a couple of hours before had been so full of life and buoyant spirits, and who had left us with a promise to return within ten minutes, was now lying still and dead in the privacy of our own room.
