used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
admittancenounUS /ədˈmɪtəns/
the right to enter
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
ball-chaser
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
CalcuttanounUS /ˌkælˈkʌtə/
the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
consulatenounUS /ˈkɑːnsələt/
diplomatic building that serves as the residence or workplace of a consul
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
cottonnounUS /ˈkɑːtən/
soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
DelhinounUS /ˈdeli/
a city in north central India
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
deniedverbUS /dɪˈnaɪd/
inflected form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
dhobies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
erstwhileadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrstwaɪl/
belonging to some prior time
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
EuropeannounUS /ˌjʊrəˈpiːən/
a native or inhabitant of Europe
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
divisible by two
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
far-offadjective
very far away in space or time
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
forty-twoadjective
being two more than forty
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
GangesnounUS /ˈɡændʒiz/
an Asian river; rises in the Himalayas and flows east into the Bay of Bengal; a sacred river of the Hindus
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
garmentsnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənts/
plural of “garment” — an article of clothing
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
hard-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was the possessor of a single rupee.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
ten 10s
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
institutionnounUS /ˌɪnstɪˈtuːʃən/
an organization founded and united for a specific purpose
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
kodak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
Maidan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
on one occasion
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
possessornounUS /pəˈzesər/
a person who owns something
From this reading He was the possessor of a single rupee.
ragsnounUS /ræɡz/
plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
reddenedadjective
(especially of the face) reddened or suffused with or as if with blood from emotion or exertion
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
residentsnounUS /ˈrezɪdənts/
plural of “resident” — someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
rupeenounUS /ruːˈpiː/
the basic unit of money in Sri Lanka; equal to 100 cents
From this reading He was the possessor of a single rupee.
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading He was the possessor of a single rupee.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
sunburnedadjectiveUS /ˈsʌnbɜːrnd/
suffering from overexposure to direct sunlight
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
tatteredadjectiveUS /ˈtætərd/
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
tennisnounUS /ˈtenəs/
a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court
From this reading European residents of a far-off district might have recognized in him the erstwhile ball-chaser of the tennis club of Delhi.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
in or at that place or location
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
third-class
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
threadbareadjectiveUS /ˈθredber/
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
tropicaladjectiveUS /ˈtrɑːpɪkəl/
relating to or situated in or characteristic of the tropics (the region on either side of the equator)
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under one arm he carried a tattered, sunburned bundle of the size of a kodak.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
up-countryadverb
to or in the interior of a country or region
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was the possessor of a single rupee.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His cotton garments, thanks to dhobies, Ganges mud, and forty-two hundred miles of third-class travel, were threadbare rags through which the tropical sun had reddened his once white skin.
a Caucasian
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
which person or people
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
the basic unit of money in South Korea
From this reading Two hours after my arrival in Calcutta there entered the American consulate, high up above the Maidan, a white man who should have won the sympathy even of the hard-hearted manager who had denied him admittance to the Sailors’ Home for once having deserted that institution for a trip “up-country.”
