used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
(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 I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
any thing at all
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
conqueredverbUS /ˈkɑːŋkərd/
past form of “conquer” — bring under control by force or authority
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
indefinableadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈfaɪnəbəl/
not capable of being precisely or readily described; not easily put into words
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
odornounUS /ˈoʊdər/
any property detected by the olfactory system
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
on one occasion
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
onionsnounUS /ˈʌnjənz/
plural of “onion” — the bulb of an onion plant
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
precisely, exactly
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
rottingnounUS /ˈrɑːtɪŋ/
(biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
smeltnounUS /smelt/
small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water
From this reading I never smelt anything like it before and it conquered me at once.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
stairwaynounUS /ˈsterweɪ/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
staleadjectiveUS /steɪl/
lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
steerverbUS /stɪr/
direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
From this reading The odor was not of stale onions, a rotting steer or anything like that, but an indefinable one.
STEERAGEnoun
the cheapest accommodations on a passenger ship
From this reading THE STEERAGE.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STEERAGE.
in or at that place or location
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
a source of difficulty
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
at the time that
From this reading I could get down all right, but when I got down a few steps an odor came up that made me pause.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading As soon as I tried to go down the stairway there was trouble, trouble of the worst kind.
