used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
the state of being absent
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
any thing at all
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
the act of discovering something
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
footprintsnounUS /ˈfʊtprɪnts/
plural of “footprint” — a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
incidentaladjectiveUS /ˌɪnsɪˈdentəl/
(sometimes followed by “to”) minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
increasinglyadverbUS /ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli/
advancing in amount or intensity
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
initialsnounUS /ˌɪˈnɪʃəlz/
plural of “initial” — the first letter of a word (especially a person's name)
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
kidnappingnounUS /ˈkɪdnæpɪŋ/
(law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
laborsnounUS /ˈleɪbərz/
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
logverbUS /lɔːɡ/
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
memorableadjectiveUS /ˈmemərəbəl/
worth remembering
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
mysteriesnounUS /ˈmɪstəriz/
plural of “mystery” — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
not any; not one
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
perplexingadjectiveUS /pərˈpleksɪŋ/
lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
puzzleverbUS /ˈpʌzəl/
be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
recognizableadjectiveUS /ˌrekəɡˈnaɪzəbəl/
easily perceived; easy to become aware of
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
relegatedverbUS /ˈreləɡeɪtɪd/
past form of “relegate” — refer to another person for decision or judgment
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
revealverbUS /rɪˈviːl/
make visible
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
except for; apart from
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
scoutnounUS /skaʊt/
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
unusual or striking
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
Skinny's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
solutionnounUS /səˈluːʃən/
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
in the near future
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
squattingnounUS /ˈskwɑːtɪŋ/
exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
male cat
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
a source of difficulty
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
unlikelyadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪkli/
not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE GREATER MYSTERY Since there was no solution of this singular puzzle, Tom did not let it continue to trouble him.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Moreover he believed that some scout or other had visited this now memorable spot and marked his initials on the mud, squatting on the log the while.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading To be sure, the absence of footprints close by, save those easily recognizable as Skinny's, was perplexing, but since there was no other explanation, Tom accepted the one which seemed not wholly unlikely.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was too busy with his duties incidental to the closing season to concern himself with mysteries which were not likely to reveal anything of value.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The kidnapping was a serious affair, and the curious discovery which he had made in the woods was soon relegated to the back of his mind by this, which was now the talk of the camp, and by his increasingly pressing labors.
