used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
accumulatedadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːmjəleɪtɪd/
periodically accumulated over time
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
how long something has existed
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
attainedadjectiveUS /əˈteɪnd/
achieved or reached
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
of short duration or distance
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
coincidencenounUS /koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/
an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
confidentadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnfədənt/
having or marked by confidence or assurance
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
let fall to the ground
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
expectantlyadverb
in an expectant manner
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
forbore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
glaredverbUS /ɡlerd/
past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
heraldedadjectiveUS /ˈherəldɪd/
publicly announced
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
justifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪd/
having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
LINCOLN'SnounUS /ˈlɪŋkənz/
possessive form of “lincoln” — 16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
engage in
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/
plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
OmannounUS /oʊˈmɑːn/
a strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula; the economy is dominated by oil
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
patientsnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənts/
plural of “patient” — a person who requires medical care
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
an amount of time
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
a human being
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
premonitoryadjectiveUS /prəˈmʌnətəri/
warning of future misfortune
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
get something; come into possession of
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
SPHINXnounUS /sfɪŋks/
an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
sufficedverbUS /səˈfaɪst/
past form of “suffice” — be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
surgerynounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒəri/
the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading She seated herself in the patients' chair and, laying a bundle of newspapers on the table, glared at me expectantly.
tapverbUS /tæp/
cut a female screw thread with a tap
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
twenty-sixadjective
being six more than twenty
From this reading THE SPHINX OF LINCOLN'S INN At the age of twenty-six one cannot claim to have attained to the position of a person of experience.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Nevertheless, the knowledge of human nature accumulated in that brief period sufficed to make me feel pretty confident that, at some time during the evening, I should receive a visit from Miss Oman.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
at the time that
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
but in spite of that
From this reading And circumstances justified my confidence; for the clock yet stood at two minutes to seven when a premonitory tap at the surgery door heralded her arrival.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I happened to be passing," she explained, and I forbore to smile at the coincidence, "so I thought I might as well drop in and hear what you wanted to ask me about."
