Chapter XII

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

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

(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 He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH BELASSIS.

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

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

eagerly desirous

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

any thing at all

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

accomplishment of an objective

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

have

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

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

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH BELASSIS.

exhale hard

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

showing careful forethought

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

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

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

unaffected by self-interest

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

move gently or carefully

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

come together

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH BELASSIS.

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

divisible by two

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

cause to burst with a violent release of energy

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

only a very short time before

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

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

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

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

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

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

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

engage in

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

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

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

a form of address for a man

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

possessive form of “nephew” — a son of your brother or sister

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

above and across; more than

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

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

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

express in words

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with “like” or “as”)

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since his nephew’s arrival in England, Mr. Belassis had felt anything but at ease.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

not in physical motion

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

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

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

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

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

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

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

in a vertical position; not sloping

From this reading He could hardly have explained the cause of his uneasiness, for he had always been a cautious, not to say a cunning man, and had taken all possible care to gloss over all his doubtful transactions so as to make them appear upright, and even disinterested.

the act of using

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

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

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

showing signs of much wear or use

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

which person or people

From this reading To use a well-worn simile, he felt like one who walks over a powder-mine which may at any time explode, and blow him into the air.

in the company of; together with

From this reading AN ENCOUNTER WITH BELASSIS.

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

From this reading Still he could not but be aware that there were certain passages in his past life which would not bear the light of day, and he was especially anxious that these passages should not come under the notice of his nephew.