used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
how long something has existed
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
Anglo-Indiannoun
a person of English citizenship born or living in India
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The journey remained in his mind as significant.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
BombaynounUS /bɑːmˈbeɪ/
a city in western India just off the coast of the Arabian Sea; India's 2nd largest city (after Calcutta); has the only natural deep-water harbor in western India
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
bribedverbUS /braɪbd/
past form of “bribe” — make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
citiesnounUS /ˈsɪtiz/
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
compartmentnounUS /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/
a space into which an area is subdivided
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
one or the other of two
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
EuropeannounUS /ˌjʊrəˈpiːən/
a native or inhabitant of Europe
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
FieldingnounUS /ˈfiːldɪŋ/
(baseball) handling the ball while playing in the field
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/
being ten more than thirty
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
gulfnounUS /ɡʌlf/
an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The journey remained in his mind as significant.
a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
inspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/
a high ranking police officer
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading The journey remained in his mind as significant.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
luggagenounUS /ˈlʌɡədʒ/
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
the force of workers available
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The journey remained in his mind as significant.
a form of address for a man
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
oddestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːdəst/
superlative of “odd” — not divisible by two
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
portalnounUS /ˈpɔːrtəl/
a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The journey remained in his mind as significant.
seasonedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːzənd/
aged or processed
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
significantadjectiveUS /səɡˈnɪfɪkənt/
important in effect or meaning
From this reading The journey remained in his mind as significant.
TerminusnounUS /ˈtɜːrmɪnəs/
a place where something ends or is complete
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This Mr. Fielding had been caught by India late.
ticketnounUS /ˈtɪkət/
a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment)
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading A gulf divided him from either; he had seen too many cities and men to be the first or to become the second.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
create by training and teaching
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
tropicaladjectiveUS /ˈtrɑːpɪkəl/
relating to or situated in or characteristic of the tropics (the region on either side of the equator)
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
VictorianounUS /vɪkˈtɔːriə/
queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
at the time that
From this reading He was over forty when he entered that oddest portal, the Victoria Terminus at Bombay, and—having bribed a European ticket inspector—took his luggage into the compartment of his first tropical train.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Of his two carriage companions one was a youth, fresh to the East like himself, the other a seasoned Anglo-Indian of his own age.
