Chapter XX · Chapter 20

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

feel admiration for

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

plural of “advantage” — the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

subject to appointment

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "You must be tired," he said remorsefully.

plural of “beauty” — the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

in a beautiful manner

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

plural of “button” — a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Brett moved a couple of deck-chairs into a sheltered corner.

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading Brett moved a couple of deck-chairs into a sheltered corner.

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Brett moved a couple of deck-chairs into a sheltered corner.

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

done or made or performed with purpose and intent

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

coins made of gold

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Brett moved a couple of deck-chairs into a sheltered corner.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

plural of “knob” — a circular rounded projection or protuberance

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

held dear

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

a character, animal or object that is adopted by a team or group as a symbolic figure

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading Brett moved a couple of deck-chairs into a sheltered corner.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "You must be tired," he said remorsefully.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

on one occasion

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

an organization to gain political power

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

perfected or made shiny and smooth

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

the act of refusing

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

in a rueful manner

From this reading "You must be tired," he said remorsefully.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You must be tired," he said remorsefully.

protected from danger or bad weather

From this reading Brett moved a couple of deck-chairs into a sheltered corner.

in a special manner

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

in or at that place or location

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading "You must be tired," he said remorsefully.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area

From this reading REFUSAL The process of making a tour of the _Sphinx_ had been a lengthy one.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

which person or people

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Brett, who loved every inch of her, from the marvellous little gold figure of a sphinx, which he had had specially designed and carved as a mascot, down to the polished knobs and buttons in the engine-room, had expatiated with considerable length and fervour upon her various beauties and advantages, and by the time he and Ann emerged on to the deck once more it was to find it deserted by the rest of the party.

an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing

From this reading The yacht was beautifully appointed, and there had been much to examine and admire.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You must be tired," he said remorsefully.