AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
Aberfoyle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
absencenounUS /ˈæbsəns/
the state of being absent
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/
eagerly desirous
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/
the act of departing
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
disappearedverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
embarkedverbUS /emˈbɑːrkt/
past form of “embark” — go on board
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
engineernounUS /ˈendʒəˈnɪr/
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
explainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
FIRE-MAIDENS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
Ford'snounUS /fɔːrdz/
possessive form of “ford” — United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
friendsnounUS /frendz/
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
Granton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
learntverbUS /lɜːrnt/
inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
letternounUS /ˈletər/
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
minesnounUS /maɪnz/
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
PiernounUS /pɪr/
a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
questioningadjectiveUS /ˈkwestʃənɪŋ/
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
relatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈleɪtɪd/
being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
requestedadjectiveUS /rɪˈkwestɪd/
asked for
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
secrecynounUS /ˈsiːkrəsi/
the trait of keeping things secret
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
SimonnounUS /ˈsaɪmən/
one of the twelve Apostles (first century)
From this reading Simon Ford’s letter had requested secrecy, and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.
StarrnounUS /stɑːr/
rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
Starr'snounUS /stɑːrz/
possessive form of “starr” — rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked at Granton Pier.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The engineer had disappeared, and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
tracesnounUS /ˈtreɪsəz/
plural of “trace” — a just detectable amount
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
weeknounUS /wiːk/
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading THE FIRE-MAIDENS A week after the events just related had taken place, James Starr’s friends had become very anxious.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But from that time there were no traces of James Starr.
