used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
not being in a specified place
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
anew
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
authoritiesnounUS /əˈθɔːrətiz/
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Riveted to his chair, he remained in despair until eventide.
a person who is in charge
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading He had to earn his living, and dared not lose his place.
recognizable; marked
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading Riveted to his chair, he remained in despair until eventide.
dismissverbUS /dɪˈsmɪs/
bar from attention or consideration
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
earnverbUS /ɜːrn/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading He had to earn his living, and dared not lose his place.
eventidenoun
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Riveted to his chair, he remained in despair until eventide.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
forbiddenadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪd.ən/
Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
yet to be or coming
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
holidaysnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
Laurent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
the act of departing
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading He had to earn his living, and dared not lose his place.
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading He had to earn his living, and dared not lose his place.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
come together
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had to earn his living, and dared not lose his place.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He had to earn his living, and dared not lose his place.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Riveted to his chair, he remained in despair until eventide.
RivetedverbUS /ˈrɪvətɪd/
past form of “rivet” — direct one's attention on something
From this reading Riveted to his chair, he remained in despair until eventide.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
Thérèse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
tortureverbUS /ˈtɔːrtʃər/
torment emotionally or mentally
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Riveted to his chair, he remained in despair until eventide.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He had taken too many holidays already, and the authorities had decided to dismiss him if he again went out in office hours.
which person or people
From this reading One afternoon, as Laurent was leaving his office to run and meet Thérèse who was expecting him, his chief gave him to understand that in future he was forbidden to absent himself.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
wrathfuladjective
vehemently incensed and condemnatory
From this reading At night the wrathful countenance of Thérèse was a torture to him, and he was unable to find an opportunity to explain to her how it was he had broken his word.
