used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
(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 He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
anecdotesnounUS /ˈænəkdoʊts/
plural of “anecdote” — short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
attemptsnounUS /əˈtempts/
plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
avalanchenounUS /ˈævəlæntʃ/
a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountain
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
barelyadverbUS /ˈberli/
only a very short time before
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "I can't help being good-looking," said the latter, with a smirk.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
BunglingadjectiveUS /ˈbʌŋɡəlɪŋ/
showing lack of skill or aptitude
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
BurtonnounUS /ˈbɜːrtən/
English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't help being good-looking," said the latter, with a smirk.
rid of obstructions
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
clumsyadjectiveUS /ˈklʌmzi/
lacking grace in movement or posture
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
contradictionnounUS /ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪkʃən/
opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
DestructionnounUS /dɪˈstrʌkʃən/
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
one or the other of two
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
plural of “emotion” — any strong feeling
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
faithlessadjective
having the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
flatteringadjectiveUS /ˈflætərɪŋ/
showing or representing to advantage
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
flirtingnounUS /ˈflɜːrtɪŋ/
playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
futileadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtəl/
producing no result or effect
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
good-lookingadjectiveUS /ˈɡʊdlʊkɪŋ/
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading "I can't help being good-looking," said the latter, with a smirk.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "I can't help being good-looking," said the latter, with a smirk.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I can't help being good-looking," said the latter, with a smirk.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
infatuationnounUS /ˌɪnfætʃuːˈeɪʃən/
a foolish and usually extravagant passion or love or admiration
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading "I can't help being good-looking," said the latter, with a smirk.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
a form of address for a man
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
not one, and not any
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
pent-upadjective
characterized by or showing the suppression of impulses or emotions
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
recountingnounUS /rɪˈkaʊntɪŋ/
an act of narration
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
cut with a saw
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
smirkverbUS /smɜːrk/
smile affectedly or derisively
From this reading "I can't help being good-looking," said the latter, with a smirk.
sobrietynounUS /səˈbraɪəti/
the state of being sober and not intoxicated by alcohol
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
StilesnounUS /staɪlz/
plural of “stile” — an upright that is a member in a door or window frame
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
at the time that
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading "Burton was always a clumsy man," he said, turning to the widow.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "He had the name for it when he was on the _Destruction_ with me; 'Bungling Burton' they called him."
the words that are spoken
From this reading They were barely clear of the house before his pent-up emotions fell in an avalanche of words on the faithless Mr. Stiles.
intense anger (usually on an epic scale)
From this reading He divided the rest of the evening between flirting and recounting various anecdotes of Mr. Burton, none of which were at all flattering either to his intelligence or to his sobriety, and the victim, after one or two futile attempts at contradiction, sat in helpless wrath as he saw the infatuation of the widow.
