used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading PORTENDS A DEED OF VENGEANCE.
the state of being absent
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
anew
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
in addition
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
Ashford
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
BalesnounUS /beɪlz/
plural of “bale” — a large bundle bound for storage or transport
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
blazedverbUS /bleɪzd/
past form of “blaze” — shine brightly and intensively
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
an occurrence of something
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
conspiracynounUS /kənˈspɪrəsi/
a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading PORTENDS A DEED OF VENGEANCE.
degradationnounUS /ˌdeɡrəˈdeɪʃən/
changing to a lower state (a less respected state)
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
(plural) the deepest and most remote part
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
ex-swell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
expulsionnounUS /ɪkˈspʌlʃən/
the act of forcing out someone or something
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
flickerverbUS /ˈflɪkər/
move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
Fortune'snounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/
possessive form of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
GibbsnounUS /ɡɪbz/
United States chemist (1839-1903)
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
guiltnounUS /ɡɪlt/
the state of having committed an offense
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
a commissioned military officer
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
a particular point in time
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading PORTENDS A DEED OF VENGEANCE.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
and nothing more
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/
owed as a debt
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
perilsnounUS /ˈperəlz/
plural of “peril” — a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
PORTENDSverbUS /pɔːrˈtendz/
third-person singular of “portend” — indicate, as with a sign or an omen
From this reading PORTENDS A DEED OF VENGEANCE.
prosecuteverbUS /ˈprɑːsəkjuːt/
conduct a prosecution in a court of law
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
on the contrary
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
readersnounUS /ˈriːdərz/
plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
past form of “remind” — put in the mind of someone
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
Somerton's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
technicalitynounUS /ˌteknɪˈkælɪti/
the state of being technical as in the use of technical terms or methods
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
temptverbUS /tempt/
dispose or incline or entice to
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Now and then Fortune’s lamp had blazed up for a moment, but only to flicker down again, and tempt him into lower depths of degradation.
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
unwillingnessnounUS /ənˈwɪlɪŋnɪs/
the trait of being unwilling
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
VENGEANCEnounUS /ˈvendʒəns/
the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life
From this reading PORTENDS A DEED OF VENGEANCE.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the ex-swell was reminded by the Court that he had had a narrow escape, and that his escape was rather owing to a technicality in the law than to any doubt of his guilt.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Gibbs had been falling lower and lower, as our readers will have seen, since the night of his expulsion from the Ashford Club.
Williamson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The difficulty of getting up the evidence to support a charge of conspiracy, in the absence of Mr. Williamson, and Lieutenant Somerton’s unwillingness to prosecute, saved Gibbs from one of the perils which threatened him; and the other case which Mr. Bales had against him also fell through.
