adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
acuteadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːt/
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
Archie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
boredomnounUS /ˈbɔːrdəm/
the feeling of being bored by something tedious
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
buryverbUS /ˈberi/
cover from sight
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
containedadjectiveUS /kənˈteɪnd/
gotten under control
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
Crossmichael
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
deniedverbUS /dɪˈnaɪd/
inflected form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
depositedverbUS /dəˈpɑːzɪtɪd/
past form of “deposit” — put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
directnessnounUS /dərˈektnəs/
trueness of course toward a goal
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
FrankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
giftnounUS /ɡɪft/
something acquired without compensation
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
gignounUS /ɡɪɡ/
long and light rowing boat; especially for racing
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
guidedadjectiveUS /ˈɡaɪdəd/
subject to guidance or control especially after launching
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
headsnounUS /hedz/
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
Hermiston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
Innes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
invitationnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
letternounUS /ˈletər/
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
mindnounUS /maɪnd/
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
moorsnounUS /mʊrz/
plural of “moor” — one of the Muslim people of north Africa; of mixed Arab and Berber descent; converted to Islam in the 8th century; conqueror of Spain in the 8th century
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/
not one and not the other of two
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
OnceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
pastnounUS /pæst/
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
phasenounUS /feɪz/
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
politicaladjectiveUS /pəˈlɪtəkəl/
involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
preciselyadverbUS /prɪˈsaɪsli/
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
prophecynounUS /ˈprɒf.ə.si/
A prediction of what will happen in the future, often divinely or magically inspired.
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
referencenounUS /ˈrefərəns/
a remark that calls attention to something or someone
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
requireverbUS /ˌriːˈkwaɪər/
require as useful, just, or proper
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
stepsnounUS /steps/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
TwonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two days later a gig from Crossmichael deposited Frank Innes at the doors of Hermiston.
unerringadjective
not liable to error
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It had contained something in the nature of an invitation or a reference to an invitation—precisely what, neither of them now remembered.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading When Innes had received it, there had been nothing further from his mind than to bury himself in the moors with Archie; but not even the most acute political heads are guided through the steps of life with unerring directness.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading That would require a gift of prophecy which has been denied to man.
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Once in a way, during the past winter, Archie, in some acute phase of boredom, had written him a letter.
