used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was nothing Homeric, nothing heroic about it.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
affectationnounUS /ˌæfekˈteɪʃən/
a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
(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 “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
alpacanounUS /ælˈpækə/
wool of the alpaca
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
askewadjectiveUS /əsˈkjuː/
turned or twisted toward one side
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
batnounUS /bæt/
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
crippledadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪpəld/
disabled in the feet or legs
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
crookedadjectiveUS /ˈkrʊkəd/
having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
remove the dust from
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
divisible by two
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
at any time
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
grotesquelyadverbUS /ɡroʊˈteskli/
in a grotesque manner
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
heroicadjectiveUS /hɪˈroʊɪk/
very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)
From this reading There was nothing Homeric, nothing heroic about it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
HomericadjectiveUS /hoʊˈmerɪk/
relating to or characteristic of Homer or his age or the works attributed to him
From this reading There was nothing Homeric, nothing heroic about it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was nothing Homeric, nothing heroic about it.
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
lifelongadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪˈflɔːŋ/
continuing through life
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
held up in the air
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
the force of workers available
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
misshapenadjectiveUS /mɪsˈʃeɪpən/
so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
muzzlenounUS /ˈmʌzəl/
the open circular discharging end of a gun
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing Homeric, nothing heroic about it.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
plumpadjectiveUS /plʌmp/
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
pudgyadjectiveUS /ˈpʌdʒi/
short and plump
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
putsnounUS /pʊts/
plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
ribnounUS /rɪb/
support resembling the rib of an animal
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
precisely, exactly
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
express in words
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
skewedadjectiveUS /skjuːd/
having an oblique or slanting direction or position
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
slantedadjectiveUS /ˈslæntɪd/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
make steady
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
not in physical motion
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was nothing Homeric, nothing heroic about it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
umbrellanounUS /əmˈbrelə/
a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
ungrammaticaladjective
not grammatical; not conforming to the rules of grammar or accepted usage
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
waggled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
which person or people
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I will now kill the first man who puts his foot across that line!”
a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)
From this reading His old figure was still as grotesquely plump and misshapen as ever--the broken rib of his umbrella slanted askew like the crippled wing of a fat bat; but the pudgy hand that brought the big blue gun out of the right pocket of the alpaca coat and swung it out and up, muzzle lifted, was steady and sure.
wormnounUS /wɜːrm/
any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading Even the line he had made in the dust waggled, and was skewed and crooked like the trail of a blind worm.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Men,” he said, and his lifelong affectation of deliberately ungrammatical speech was all gone from him, “I have said to you all I can say.
