used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
matters of personal concern
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
callersnounUS /ˈkɔːlərz/
plural of “caller” — a social or business visitor
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
DijonnounUS /ˈdiːʒɑːn/
an industrial city in eastern France to the north of Lyons
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
divisible by two
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
fineradjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnər/
(comparative of “fine”) greater in quality or excellence
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
functionarynounUS /ˈfʌŋkʃəneri/
a worker who holds or is invested with an office
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
gallopedverbUS /ˈɡæləpt/
past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
gendarmes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
destroyed or killed
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
groupsnounUS /ɡruːps/
plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
headlongadverbUS /ˈhedlɔːŋ/
with the head foremost
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
MainenounUS /meɪn/
a state in New England
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
the force of workers available
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
mustachesnounUS /ˈmʌstæʃɪz/
plural of “mustache” — an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
having official authority or sanction
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
orderlies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
placardsnounUS /ˈplækərdz/
plural of “placard” — a sign posted in a public place as an advertisement
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
postedadjectiveUS /ˈpoʊstɪd/
publicly displayed
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
PrefecturenounUS /ˈpriːfektʃər/
the district administered by a prefect (as in France or Japan or the Roman Empire)
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
move hurridly
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
streamsnounUS /striːmz/
plural of “stream” — a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day.
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
under normal conditions
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
in or at the place that
From this reading There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up.
which person or people
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed.
