used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
Anita
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
arrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/
past form of “arrest” — take into custody
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
behavedverbUS /bɪˈheɪvd/
past form of “behave” — behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
blockingnounUS /ˈblɑːkɪŋ/
the act of obstructing or deflecting someone's movements
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
CyrilnounUS /ˈsɪrəl/
Greek missionary; the invention of the Cyrillic alphabet is attributed to him (826-869)
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
heedlessadjective
marked by or paying little heed or attention
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Worse still, he had told her that he loved her!
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
imprecations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
inadvertentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnədˈvɜːrtəntli/
without knowledge or intention
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
Jehu
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
jostledverbUS /ˈdʒɑːsəld/
past form of “jostle” — make one's way by jostling, pushing, or shoving
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
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 AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
held dear
From this reading Worse still, he had told her that he loved her!
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
retainedadjectiveUS /rɪˈteɪnd/
continued in your keeping or use or memory
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
express in words
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
not in physical motion
From this reading Worse still, he had told her that he loved her!
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading How could he have behaved like such a fool, he kept asking himself.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
a special situation
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had not said a thing to Anita that he had meant to say--not one.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Worse still, he had told her that he loved her!
not expected or anticipated
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
someone who visits
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
migratory
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
wayfarernoun
a pedestrian who walks from place to place
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR What he did during the next few hours, Cyril never quite knew.
belonging to which person
From this reading He retained a vague impression of wandering through endless streets and of being now and then arrested in his heedless course by the angry imprecations of some wayfarer he had inadvertently jostled or of some Jehu whose progress he was blocking.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading Worse still, he had told her that he loved her!
