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Chapter XII
"_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea! It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was. He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe. But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first. The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.”
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.”
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "_A block of steel_" Ah, he had an idea!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But--(was his mind leaving him?) there was something to be done first.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not his own, but for the moment he thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way must be cleared for the man in hiding to enter that room before she did.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He would leave the office himself and thus give her an opportunity to quit her work and shut herself up with the safe.
