Chapter XIII · Put to the Test

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a youthful male person

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a low-lying region in central France

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

(plural) the deepest and most remote part

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

plural of “dish” — a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

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

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

cutlery used for serving and eating food

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

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

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

the force of workers available

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

not any; not one

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

keep busy with

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

on one occasion

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

above and across; more than

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

plural of “potato” — an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

preceding and preparing for something

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

fruit preserved by cooking with sugar

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

on the contrary

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

plural of “ration” — the food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel)

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

socially incorrect in behavior

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

be seated

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

in the near future

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

a piece of cutlery with a shallow bowl-shaped container and a handle; used to stir or serve or take up food

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a slice of meat cut from the fleshy part of an animal or large fish

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

carry out

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

as much as a teacup will hold

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

in or at that place or location

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

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

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Before more could be said by any of the band, a bell rang over in the dumb-waiter, and two men at once stepped to the cupboard and began to place dishes upon the table, preparatory to having supper.

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

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

belonging to which person

From this reading The two men, whose duty it seemed, put the supper on the table, and it was by no means a repast to be refused, for there was hot coffee, milk, hot biscuit, steak, potatoes and preserves.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Will was told to sit down on a chair, and the coming meal, rather than the boy prisoner, seemed to occupy the thoughts of the rude gathering.

in the company of; together with

From this reading By the time that the table was set, with a plate, knife, fork, teacup and spoon for each, and a dish of butter and large bowl of sugar in the centre, a second ring came at the dumb-waiter, and up from the depths below appeared the supper.

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

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."

a young person of either sex

From this reading Will was told to "Take a seat youngster, and pitch in, for you don't know how soon yer rations will be cut short."