Vocabulary

CHAPTER ONE 

Dismayed: (Adj.) struck with fear, dread, or consternation. 

• … London was interested, and the fashionable world dismayed…

Overwhelmingly: (Adv.) incapable of being resisted; "the candy looked overwhelmingly desirable to the dieting man". irresistibly, overpoweringly.

• …the prosecution was so overwhelmingly strong that it was not necessary to bring forward all the facts.

Chain:  (noun) a connected flexible series of metal links used for fastening, pulling, etc., or in jewellery. / a sequence of items of the same type forming a line. 

• …am I allowed to supply those missing links which make up the whole of that remarkable chain

Thrilling: (Adj.) causing a surge of emotion or excitement; "she gave an electrifying performance"; "a thrilling performer to watch". 

• I find myself thrilling as I think of it…

Utterly: (Adv.) Completely; absolutely; entirely.

• …and incredulity which utterly submerged my mind.

Glimpse: (noun) A brief, incomplete view or look. 

• Let me say to that public, which has shown some interest in those glimpses which I have occasionally given them…

Barred: (Adj.) Preventing entry or exit or a course of action. 

• …had I not been barred by a positive prohibition from his own lips…

Inquest: (noun) Law a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident.

• …As I read the evidence at the inquest.

lead up to: (Phrasal Verb) To result in by a series of steps: events leading up to the coup./ To proceed toward (a main topic) with preliminary remarks. 

• As I read the evidence at the inquest, which led up to a verdict of willful murder against. 

Twice-Told Tales: is a short story collection in two volumes by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The first was published in the spring of 1837, and the second in 1842. The stories had all been previously published in magazines and annuals, hence the name.

• …At the risk of telling a twice-told tale, I will recapitulate the facts as they were known…

CHAPTER TWO

Undergo: (V.) to experience or endure They underwent terrible hardships. / to go through (a process) She has been undergoing medical treatment.

• ·         Adair's mother had returned from Australia to undergo the operation for cataract

Youth: (noun) a young person (especially a young man or boy)

• ·         The youth moved in the best society—had, so far as was known, no enemies and no particular vices

Stakes:  (noun) the money risked on a gamble  

• ·         Ronald Adair was fond of cards—playing continually, but never for such stakes as would hurt him

Whist: (noun) (Group Games / Card Games) a card game for four in which the two sides try to win the balance of the 13 tricks: forerunner of bridge

• ·         Mr. Murray, Sir John Hardy, and Colonel Moran—showed that the game was whist

Pounds: (noun) The basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom, worth 20 shillings or 240 old pence before the decimalization of 1971. Also called pound sterling.

• ·         Adair might have lost five pounds, but not more. 

Partnership: (noun) A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal

• ·         It came out in evidence that, in partnership with Colonel Moran (…)

Lit: (verb) an alternative past tense and past participle of light

• ·         She had lit a fire there, and as it smoked she had opened the window.

Banknotes: (noun) a piece of paper money (especially one issued by a central bank)

• ·         On the table lay two banknotes for ten pounds each and seventeen pounds ten in silver and gold

Arrange: (verb) To put into a specific order or relation; dispose.

• ·         (…) the money arranged in little piles of varying amount.

Endeavouring: (verb) to try (to do something)

• ·         It was conjectured that before his death he was endeavouring to make out his losses or winnings at cards.

CHAPTER THREE 

Fastened: (verb)To make fast or secure.

• In the first place, no reason could be given why the young man should have fastened the door upon the inside

Afterwards: (adv.) after an earlier event or time; subsequently

• There was the possibility that the murderer had done this, and had afterwards escaped by the window.

Drop: (noun) a small quantity of liquid; a minute quantity, portion, or particle.

• The drop was at least twenty feet (…)

Beneath: (prep) To or into a lower position 

• (…) a bed of crocuses in full bloom lay beneath.

Loafers: (noun) a person who avoids work; idler

• A group of loafers upon the pavements (…)

Elderly: (adj.) being past middle age and approaching old age; rather old

•  As I did so I struck against an elderly, deformed man, who had been behind me (…)

Fellow: (noun) a man or boy / an informal word for boyfriend

•  (…) and it struck me that the fellow must be some poor bibliophile

Snarl: (verb) To growl viciously while baring the teeth.

•   With a snarl of contempt he turned upon his heel

Side-whiskers: (noun) facial hair that has grown down the side of a man's face in front of the ears (especially when the rest of the beard is shaved off)

•  I saw his curved back and white side-whiskers disappear among the throng

Throng: A large group of people gathered or crowded closely together; a multitude.

CHAPTER FOUR

Clear up: (Verb) make clear and (more) comprehensible

• My observations of No. 427 Park Lane did little to clear up the problem in which I was interested.

Waterpipe: (noun) an oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water

• since there was no waterpipe or anything which could help the most active man to climb it

Astonishment: (noun) extreme surprise; amazement

• To my astonishment it was none other than my strange old book collector

Hobble: (verb) to walk with a lame awkward movement

•  when I chanced to see you go into this house, as I came hobbling after you

 Gruff: (Adj.) Brusque or stern in manner or appearance

• and tell him that if I was a bit gruff in my manner there was not any harm meant

Trifle: (noun) a thing of little or no value or significance

•  You make too much of a trifle," said I. "May I ask how you knew who I was?

Untidy: (Adj.) Disorderly and unorganized

• With five volumes you could just fill that gap on that second shelf. It looks untidy, does it not, sir?"

Amazement: (noun) incredulity or great astonishment; complete wonder or surprise 

• I rose to my feet, stared at him for some seconds in utter amazement

Tingle: (Verb) To have a prickling, stinging sensation, as from cold, a sharp slap, or excitement

• when it cleared I found my collar-ends undone and the tingling after-taste of brandy upon my lips

Flask: (noun) A small container, such as a bottle, having a narrow neck and usually a cap

• Holmes was bending over my chair, his flask in his hand.

CHAPTER FIVE

Shock: (noun) A violent collision or impact; a heavy blow

• I have given you a serious shock by my unnecessarily dramatic reappearance.

Grip: (noun) the act or an instance of grasping and holding firmly

• Again I gripped him by the sleeve, and felt the thin, sinewy arm beneath it.

Sleeve: (noun) A part of a garment that covers all or part of an arm.

Sinewy: (Adj.) vigorous; forceful

Chasm: (noun) A deep, steep-sided opening in the earth's surface; an abyss or gorge

• Sit down, and tell me how you came alive out of that dreadful chasm.

Nonchalant: (Adj.) casually unconcerned or indifferent; uninvolved

• He sat opposite to me, and lit a cigarette in his old, nonchalant manner

Seedy: (Adj.) shabby or unseemly in appearance 

• He was dressed in the seedy frockcoat of the book merchant

Frockcoat: (noun) a man's double-breasted, long-skirted coat, now worn chiefly on formal occasions.

Tinge: (noun) A small amount of a color incorporated or added.

• (…) but there was a dead-white tinge in his aquiline face (…)

Mouthful: (noun) a small quantity, as of food

• We shall have time for a mouthful of dinner before we need go

CHAPTER SIX

Pathway: (noun) a route to or way of access to; way of reaching or achieving something

• I perceived the somewhat sinister figure of the late Professor Moriarty standing upon the narrow pathway which led to safety

Rush: (verb) To make a sudden or swift attack or charge.

• He drew no weapon, but he rushed at me and threw his long arms around me.

Wrestling: (noun) A sport in which two competitors attempt to throw or immobilize each other by grappling.

• I have some knowledge, however, of baritsu, or the Japanese system of wrestling (…)

Kick: (Verb) To strike out with the foot or feet.

• I slipped through his grip, and he with a horrible scream kicked madly for a few seconds (…)

Clawed: (Verb) To scratch, dig, tear, or pull with or as if with claws.

• (…) and clawed the air with both his hands.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Picturesque: (Adj.) having a striking or colourful character, nature, etc

• In your picturesque account of the matter, which I read with great interest some months later

Sheer: (Adj.) Thin, fine, and transparent

• (…) you assert that the wall was sheer.

Fanciful: (Adj.) Created in the fancy; unreal

I am not a fanciful person, but I give you my word that I seemed to hear Moriarty's voice screaming at me out of the abyss

Notches: (noun) A narrow pass between mountains.

• (…) my foot slipped in the wet notches of the rock

Glance: (Verb) To move rapidly from one thing to another. Used of the eyes.

• A confederate—and even that one glance had told me how dangerous a man that confederate was

Endeavour : (Verb) to try (to do something)

• he had endeavoured to succeed where his comrade had failed.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Betray: (Verb) To divulge in a breach of confidence

• I feared lest your affectionate regard for me should tempt you to some indiscretion which would betray my secret.

Upset: (Verb) To disturb the functioning, order, or course of

• For that reason I turned away from you this evening when you upset my books

Vindictive: (Adj.) Disposed to seek revenge; revengeful

• as I had hoped, for the trial of the Moriarty gang left two of its most dangerous members, my own most vindictive enemies

Lama: (noun) A Buddhist monk of Tibet or Mongolia.

• (…) and spending some days with the head lama

Hasten: (Verb)  To move or act swiftly.

• (…) my movements were hastened by the news of this very remarkable Park Lane Mystery

CHAPTER NINE

Spare: (Adj.) Not lavish, abundant, or excessive

• had it not been confirmed by the actual sight of the tall, spare figure

Suffice: (Verb) to be adequate or satisfactory for (something)

• Let that suffice until half-past nine, when we start upon the notable adventure of the empty house.

Huntsman: (noun) A man who manages the hounds in the hunting field.

• (…) but I was well assured, from the bearing of this master huntsman, that the adventure was a most grave one

Sardonic: (Adj.) characterized by irony, mockery, or derision

• While the sardonic smile which occasionally broke through his ascetic gloom

Gloomy: (Adj.) Partially or totally dark, especially dismal and dreary

• We emerged at last into a small road, lined with old, gloomy houses, which led us into Manchester Street

CHAPTER TEN

Pitch: (Verb) The highest point of a structure / The act or an instance of pitching./ To throw or toss something, such as a ball, horseshoe, or bale.

• The place was pitch dark, but it was evident to me that it was an empty house

Dim: (Verb) Lacking in brightness

• I answered, staring through the dim window.

Blind: (noun) Something, such as a window shade or a Venetian blind, that hinders vision or shuts out light.

• The blind was down, and a strong light was burning in the room.

Silhouettes: (noun) A drawing consisting of the outline of something, especially a human profile, filled in with a solid color.

• (…) the effect was that of one of those black silhouettes which our grandparents loved to frame.

Quiver: (Verb) To shake with a slight, rapid, tremulous movement.

• He was quivering with silent laughter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN 

Doth: (Verb) Archaic or dialect (used with the pronouns he, she, or it or with a noun) a singular form of the present tense of do.

• "I trust that age doth not wither nor custom stale my infinite variety”

Yonder: (Adv) or in an indicated (usually distant) place

• That angular shadow up yonder was the bait

To and fro: (Adv) moving from one place to another and back again

Muffle: wrapped up especially for protection or secrecy

• Many people were moving to and fro, most of them muffled in their coats and cravats

Clutch: (verb) To grasp and hold tightly.

• I clutched Holmes's arm, and pointed upward. 

CHAPTER TWELVE

Asperity: (noun) Harshness of manner; ill temper or irritability.

• Three years had certainly not smoothed the asperities of his temper…

Utter: (Adj.) Complete; absolute; entire

• Again in the utter silence I heard that thin, sibilant note which spoke of intense suppressed excitement

Keener: (Adj.) Intense; piercing

• I was aware of that which his keener senses had already distinguished

Sink: (Verb) to pass into a specified condition

• As he sank to the level of this opening, the light of the street

Bulky: (Adj.) of large size for its weight

• Then from the pocket of his overcoat he drew a bulky object 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Stalwart: (Adj.) One who is physically and morally strong.

• We had all risen to our feet, our prisoner breathing hard, with a stalwart constable on each side of him.

Loiterer: (noun) someone who lingers aimlessly in or about a place

• Already a few loiterers had begun to collect in the street.

Lids: (noun) short for eyelid

• But one could not look upon his cruel blue eyes, with their drooping, cynical lids…

Stratagem: (noun) A military maneuver designed to deceive or surprise an enemy.

• I wonder that my very simple stratagem could deceive so old a SHIKARI," said Holmes.

Tether: (Verb) to tie with a tether

• Have you not tethered a young kid under a tree

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Snarl: (noun) a vicious angry growl   

• Colonel Moran sprang forward with a snarl of rage…

Gibe: (noun) an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect

• but at least there can be no reason why I should submit to the gibes of this person.

Bullet: (noun) a small metallic missile enclosed in a cartridge, used as the projectile of a gun, rifle, etc.

• I commend it very specially to your attention, Lestrade and also the bullets which fit it."

Seek: (Verb) To try to locate or discover; search for.

• The man that the whole force has been seeking in vain

Thirtieth:  (noun) The ordinal number matching the number 30 in a series.

• the open window of the second-floor front of No. 427 Park Lane, upon the thirtieth of last month.

CHAPTER FIVETEEN

Chambers: (noun) a judge's room for hearing cases not taken in open court

• Our old chambers had been left unchanged through the supervision of Mycroft Holmes …

Spoil: (Verb) To damage irreparably; ruin.

• Yes, sir. I'm afraid it has spoilt your beautiful bust

Obliged: (Adj.) To make indebted or grateful:

• I am much obliged for your assistance.

Effigy:  (noun) A crude figure or dummy representing a hated person or group.

• …and now he was the Holmes of old in the mouse-coloured dressing-gown which he took from his effigy.

Shattered:  (Adj.) broken into many small pieces

• …with a laugh, as he inspected the shattered forehead of his bust.