used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
acted upon; influenced
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
how long something has existed
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
artificialadjectiveUS /ˌɑːrtəˈfɪʃəl/
contrived by art rather than nature
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
artisticallyadverbUS /ɑːrˈtɪstɪkli/
in an artistic manner
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
buttonholenounUS /ˈbʌtənhoʊl/
a hole through which buttons are pushed
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
combinationnounUS /ˌkɑːmbəˈneɪʃən/
a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
cosmeticadjectiveUS /kɑːzˈmetɪk/
serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
cunningadjectiveUS /ˈkʌnɪŋ/
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
deceitfulnessnoun
the quality of being crafty
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
elegancenounUS /ˈeləɡəns/
a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
execrableadjectiveUS /ˌeɡˈzekrəbəl/
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
forty-fivenounUS /ˈfɔːrtifaɪv/
a .45-caliber pistol
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
frocknounUS /frɑːk/
a long, loose outer garment
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
haggardadjectiveUS /ˈhæɡərd/
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
huenounUS /hjuː/
the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
imitateverbUS /ˈɪməteɪt/
reproduce someone's behavior or looks
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
impertinencenoun
an impudent statement
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
deeply or markedly affected or influenced
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
locksnounUS /lɑːks/
plural of “lock” — a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
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 The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
lustrousadjectiveUS /ˈlʌstrəs/
made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
moustachenounUS /ˈmʌstæʃ/
an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE VOICE OF THE TEMPTER.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
and nothing more
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
owedverbUS /oʊd/
past form of “owe” — be obliged to pay or repay
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
parodynounUS /ˈperədi/
a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
physiognomynoun
the human face (“kisser” and “smiler” and “mug” are informal terms for “face” and “phiz” is British)
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
pretensionsnounUS /prəˈtenʃənz/
plural of “pretension” — a false or unsupportable quality
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
on the contrary
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
ravenverbUS /ˈreɪvən/
obtain or seize by violence
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
remarkablyadverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
ribbonnounUS /ˈrɪbən/
any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
speakernounUS /ˈspiːkər/
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
stranger'snounUS /ˈstreɪndʒərz/
possessive form of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading The stranger's physiognomy impressed one as being a peculiar combination of deceitfulness, cunning, and impertinence.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading Dressed in execrable taste, with a broad red ribbon in the buttonhole of his frock coat, he affected a military bearing.
TEMPTERnoun
a person who tempts others
From this reading THE VOICE OF THE TEMPTER.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VOICE OF THE TEMPTER.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
precisely as stated
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading THE VOICE OF THE TEMPTER.
vulgaradjectiveUS /ˈvʌlɡər/
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
which person or people
From this reading He had large feet and remarkably large hands; in short, despite his very evident pretensions, it was easy to see that he was one of those vulgar persons who cannot imitate, but only parody real elegance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
a late time of life
From this reading The speaker was a man about forty-five years of age, with regular though rather haggard features and a long moustache, made as black and lustrous by some cosmetic as his artistically curled locks, which evidently owed their raven hue to artificial means.
