used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
actsnounUS /ækts/
a New Testament book describing the development of the early church from Christ's Ascension to Paul's sojourn at Rome
From this reading The Frenchman acts mad, but he isn’t at all.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The Frenchman acts mad, but he isn’t at all.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Frenchman acts mad, but he isn’t at all.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The Frenchman acts mad, but he isn’t at all.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
earnestnessnounUS /ˈɜːrnəstnəs/
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
ejaculations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
FrenchmannounUS /ˈfrentʃmæn/
a person of French nationality
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
gesturesnounUS /ˈdʒestʃərz/
plural of “gesture” — motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Frenchman acts mad, but he isn’t at all.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
of great significance or value
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
isn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Frenchman acts mad, but he isn’t at all.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
listensverbUS /ˈlɪsənz/
third-person singular of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
roused to anger
From this reading The Frenchman acts mad, but he isn’t at all.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
not any; not one
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
and nothing more
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading The American acts pleasant, but he is really mad.
punctuates
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
rapiditynounUS /rəˈpɪdəti/
a rate that is rapid
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading The American acts pleasant, but he is really mad.
sentencesnounUS /ˈsentənsəz/
plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
express in words
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
precisely as stated
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The American listens with frank impatience and punctuates the French sentences with American ejaculations which have no connection with the subject.
which person or people
From this reading My idea of a good joke is to have a guide who can only talk French tell an American who can’t understand French something very important or serious.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Frenchman tells his story with rapidity, earnestness and gestures.
