used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The loss of his sacred cue was a bitter misfortune.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
alternativeadjectiveUS /ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv/
serving or used in place of another
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
AmericansnounUS /əˈmerəkənz/
plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
bemoaningverbUS /bɪˈmoʊnɪŋ/
-ing form of “bemoan” — regret strongly
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading The loss of his sacred cue was a bitter misfortune.
bondsnounUS /bɑːndz/
plural of “bond” — an electrical force linking atoms
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
confined by bonds
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
cellnounUS /sel/
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
CHANNELnounUS /ˈtʃænəl/
a path over which electrical signals can pass
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
Chinamannoun
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Chinese descent
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
counseledverbUS /ˈkaʊnsəld/
past form of “counsel” — give advice to
From this reading His Oriental mind counseled self-destruction.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
cuenounUS /kjuː/
an actor's line that immediately precedes and serves as a reminder for some action or speech
From this reading The loss of his sacred cue was a bitter misfortune.
defeatedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfiːtəd/
beaten or overcome; not victorious
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
well in the past; former
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
despisedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspaɪzd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
destinynounUS /ˈdestəni/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
dishonorverbUS /dɪˈsɑːnər/
bring shame or dishonor upon
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
futileadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtəl/
producing no result or effect
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
gaggedverbUS /ɡæɡd/
inflected form of “gag” — prevent from speaking out
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
humiliatedadjectiveUS /hjuːˈmɪlieɪtɪd/
subdued or brought low in condition or status
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
the act of departing
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
something that is lost
From this reading The loss of his sacred cue was a bitter misfortune.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading His Oriental mind counseled self-destruction.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading The loss of his sacred cue was a bitter misfortune.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
OrientaladjectiveUS /ˌɔːriˈentəl/
denoting or characteristic of countries of the Far East
From this reading His Oriental mind counseled self-destruction.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
with low volume
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading The loss of his sacred cue was a bitter misfortune.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
self-destructionnounUS /ˈselfdɪˈstrʌkts/
the act of killing yourself
From this reading His Oriental mind counseled self-destruction.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
Ta-Ling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading THE SECRET CHANNEL After the Americans had departed, leaving Ta-Ling tightly bound and gagged on the cell floor, the Chinaman remained quietly bemoaning his cruel destiny.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
wipeverbUS /waɪp/
rub with a circular motion
From this reading There was no alternative to wipe out the dishonor of being defeated and humiliated by his despised enemies.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
yamen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew from the silence throughout the yamen that it would be futile for him to waste his strength in useless struggling at the bonds that bound him.
