used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
aggressiveadjectiveUS /əˈɡresɪv/
having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
From this reading The cleanness of the man was almost aggressive.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The cleanness of the man was almost aggressive.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
ampleadjectiveUS /ˈæmpəl/
more than enough in size or scope or capacity
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
ascertainverbUS /ˌæsərˈteɪn/
establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
a distinct feature or element in a problem
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
blandadjectiveUS /blænd/
lacking taste or flavor or tang
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
BurtonnounUS /ˈbɜːrtən/
English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
cleannessnounUS /ˈkliːnɪs/
the state of being clean; without dirt or other impurities
From this reading The cleanness of the man was almost aggressive.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
developmentnounUS /dɪˈveləpmənt/
act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
Drummond's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
set up or found
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
friend'snounUS /frendz/
possessive form of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
genialadjectiveUS /ˈdʒiːnjəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
Haldanenoun
Scottish geneticist (son of John Haldane) who contributed to the development of population genetics; a popularizer of science and a Marxist (1892-1964)
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
jovialadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊviəl/
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
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 He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
middle-agedadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was a middle-aged man, with a bland aspect and full development, not fat but ample.
held or filled or in use
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The cleanness of the man was almost aggressive.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
StephennounUS /ˈstiːvən/
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
vexationnoun
anger produced by some annoying irritation
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading The merchant suffered a little vexation to be visible in his smooth and genial aspect.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
whiskersnounUS /ˈwɪskərz/
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mr Burton called next morning to ascertain Drummond's decision, and found that he had been sitting up half the night with Stephen Haldane, and was wholly occupied by his friend's illness.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading He wore his whiskers long, and had an air that was always jovial and comfortable.
