Chapter V · Chapter 5

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

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

how long something has existed

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

an investigation of the component parts of a whole and their relations in making up the whole

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

the descendants of one individual

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

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

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

a distinct feature or element in a problem

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

past form of “bank” — tip laterally

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

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

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

lacking funds

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

plural of “cheekbone” — the arch of bone beneath the eye that forms the prominence of the cheek

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

the protruding part of the lower jaw

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

according with custom or propriety

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

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

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

the residue that remains after animal fat has been rendered

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

lower than previously

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

construct, build, or erect

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

presently existing

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

opinion or judgment

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

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

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

plural of “fern” — any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

an imperfection in an object or machine

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

shining unsteadily

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

consisting of small disconnected parts

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

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

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

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

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

past form of “hint” — drop a hint; intimate by a hint

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

of great significance or value

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

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

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

a room where books are kept

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

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

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

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

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

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

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

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

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

and nothing more

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

a judge of a probate court

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

above and across; more than

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

a pleasant and secluded part of a garden; usually attached to a mansion

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

affording an abundant supply

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

having a point

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

-ing form of “ruffle” — stir up (water) so as to form ripples

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

Identical; not different.

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

bitter or scornful

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

protected from heat and light with shade or shadow

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

being ten more than fifty

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

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

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

(used especially of meats and fish) dried and cured by hanging in wood smoke

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

with no problems or difficulties

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

not in physical motion

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

successive (without a break)

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

in a surprising manner

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

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

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

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

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

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

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

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

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

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

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

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

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

a Caucasian

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

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

From this reading Wilber Cowan went off to bed, only a little concerned by this new-found flaw in his ancestry.

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

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

in the company of; together with

From this reading There the three existing male Whipples sat about a long, magazine-littered table in the library and smoked and thought and at long intervals favoured one another with fragmentary speech.

an established custom

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He would have thought it more important could he have known that this same Cowan ancestry was under analysis at the Whipple New Place.

a late time of life

From this reading Gideon sat erect in his chair or stood before the fireplace, now banked with ferns; black-clad, tall and thin and straight in the comely pleasance of his sixty years, his face smoothly shaven, his cheekbones jutting above depressed cheeks that fell to his narrow, pointed chin, his blue eyes crackling far under the brow, high and narrow and shaded with ruffling gray hair, still plenteous.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading His ordinary aspect was severe, almost saturnine; but he was wont to destroy this effect with his thin-lipped smile that broke winningly over small white teeth and surprisingly hinted an alert young man behind these flickering shadows of age.