used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
in the past
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
alteredadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Oil had been discovered in extraordinary and unprecedented quantities.
apologynounUS /əˈpɑːlədʒiː/
an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Oil had been discovered in extraordinary and unprecedented quantities.
belatedadjectiveUS /bɪˈleɪtɪd/
after the expected or usual time; delayed
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
with bitterness; in a resentful manner
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
cablegrams
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
demeanournounUS /dɪˈmiːnər/
(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Oil had been discovered in extraordinary and unprecedented quantities.
dollarnounUS /ˈdɑːlər/
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
being one more than seven
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
divisible by two
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading Oil had been discovered in extraordinary and unprecedented quantities.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
set up or found
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
justifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪd/
having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins
From this reading The old proverb stood justified.
Letitia's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
miraculouslyadverbUS /mərˈækjələsli/
in a miraculous manner
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
OilnounUS /ɔɪl/
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old proverb stood justified.
PlutonounUS /ˈpluːtoʊ/
a cartoon character created by Walt Disney
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
proverbnounUS /ˈprɑːvərb/
a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
From this reading The old proverb stood justified.
quantitiesnounUS /ˈkwɑːntətiz/
plural of “quantity” — how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading Oil had been discovered in extraordinary and unprecedented quantities.
a person who is head of an administrative department of government
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
sharesnounUS /ʃerz/
plural of “share” — assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
speculationsnounUS /ˌspekjəˈleɪʃənz/
plural of “speculation” — a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The old proverb stood justified.
strenuousadjectiveUS /ˈstrenjuːəs/
characterized by or performed with much energy or force
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
in the direction of
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
unprecedentedadjectiveUS /ənˈpresɪdentɪd/
having no precedent; novel
From this reading Oil had been discovered in extraordinary and unprecedented quantities.
unsalableadjectiveUS /ənˈseɪləbəl/
impossible to sell
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Pluto Oil shares, unsalable at a dollar a few weeks ago, now stood at eight.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
wildestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪldɪst/
superlative of “wild” — marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Even this, the wildest of his speculations, had become miraculously successful.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading During those few hours of strenuous, almost fierce work into which David threw himself after the funeral, he found in a collection of belated cablegrams which his secretary handed him an explanation of Letitia's half apology, an explanation, he told himself bitterly, of her altered demeanour towards him.
