adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
bondsnounUS /bɑːndz/
plural of “bond” — an electrical force linking atoms
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It remained unattainable, so far as he was concerned; but he found other things.
buyverbUS /baɪ/
obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
citynounUS /ˈsɪti/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading It remained unattainable, so far as he was concerned; but he found other things.
contemplatedverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪd/
past form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
curiouslyadverbUS /ˈkjʊriəsli/
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading It was curiously significant that he worked so quickly.
detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
enormouslyadverbUS /ɪˈnɔːrməsli/
extremely
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
exchangingverbUS /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/
-ing form of “exchange” — give to, and receive from, one another
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
faradverbUS /fɑːr/
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading It remained unattainable, so far as he was concerned; but he found other things.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
idealadjectiveUS /aɪˈdiːl/
conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
improvingadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvɪŋ/
getting higher or more vigorous
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
incapableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/
(followed by “of”) lacking capacity or ability
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
incomenounUS /ˈɪnkʌm/
the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was curiously significant that he worked so quickly.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
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 Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
mindnounUS /maɪnd/
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
noonnounUS /nuːn/
the middle of the day
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading It remained unattainable, so far as he was concerned; but he found other things.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
plansnounUS /plænz/
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
pressedadjectiveUS /prest/
compacted by ironing
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
propertynounUS /ˈprɑːpərti/
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
purlieus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/
with speed
From this reading It was curiously significant that he worked so quickly.
ramblingadjectiveUS /ˈræmblɪŋ/
spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading It remained unattainable, so far as he was concerned; but he found other things.
rentalnounUS /ˈrentəl/
property that is leased or rented out or let
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
shiftverbUS /ʃɪft/
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
significantadjectiveUS /səɡˈnɪfɪkənt/
important in effect or meaning
From this reading It was curiously significant that he worked so quickly.
smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was curiously significant that he worked so quickly.
SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
spareverbUS /sper/
refrain from harming
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
spentadjectiveUS /spent/
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
spreadingnounUS /ˈspredɪŋ/
process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
stepnounUS /step/
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
swornadjectiveUS /swɔːrn/
bound by or as if by an oath
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
taxicabnounUS /ˈtæksikæb/
a car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was curiously significant that he worked so quickly.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading It remained unattainable, so far as he was concerned; but he found other things.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Sometimes he had thought of improving his income by exchanging his little collection of bonds for a “small rental property,” if he could find “a good buy”; and he had spent many of his spare hours rambling over the enormously spreading city and its purlieus, looking for the ideal “buy.”
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
unattainableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbəl/
impossible to achieve
From this reading It remained unattainable, so far as he was concerned; but he found other things.
wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He was out in his taxicab again the next morning, and by noon he had secured what he wanted.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading It was curiously significant that he worked so quickly.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
yieldverbUS /jiːld/
be the cause or source of
From this reading All the years during which his wife had pressed him toward his present shift he had sworn to himself, as well as to her, that he would never yield; and yet when he did yield he had no plans to make, because he found them already prepared and worked out in detail in his mind; as if he had long contemplated the “step” he believed himself incapable of taking.
