used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
absented
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
BehaviournounUS /bɪˈheɪvjər/
the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
Bredon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
Brinkman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
a formal event performed on a special occasion
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
comparisonnounUS /kəmˈperəsən/
the act of examining resemblances
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
command with authority
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
gapnounUS /ɡæp/
a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
a man of refinement
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
death of a person
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
listenernounUS /ˈlɪsənər/
someone who listens attentively
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
of an obscure nature
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
pageantnounUS /ˈpædʒənt/
an elaborate representation of scenes from history etc; usually involves a parade with rich costumes
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
a course of conduct
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
privet-hedge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
prominentadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːmənənt/
having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
self-betrayed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
speedyadjectiveUS /ˈspiːdiː/
characterized by speed; moving with or capable of moving with high speed
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
unnoticedadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊtɪst/
not noticed
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading From behind the wall, there was a gap in a privet-hedge, and through this there was a direct and speedy retreat to the back door of the inn.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
at the time that
From this reading The inn itself, when they went back to it, was as silent as the grave—indeed, the comparison forced itself upon their minds.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was no doubt as to the path which the self-betrayed listener must have taken.
belonging to which person
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Mysterious Behaviour of the Old Gentleman Bredon and his wife looked at one another in astonishment.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was impossible that the funeral should yet be over; impossible, surely, that Brinkman, whose place in the pageant was such a prominent one, should have absented himself from the ceremony unnoticed.
