used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
biddingnounUS /ˈbɪdɪŋ/
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
cacklingverbUS /ˈkækəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
Chinamen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading "Make the Chinese turn out.
crowdingnounUS /ˈkraʊdɪŋ/
a situation in which people or things are crowded together
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
devilsnounUS /ˈdevəlz/
plural of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
dispossessedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪspəˈzest/
physically or spiritually homeless or deprived of security
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
at any time
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
grumpyadjectiveUS /ˈɡrʌmpi/
annoyed and irritable
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
high-pitchedadjective
used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading This was unanswerable, if illogical.
illogicaladjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/
lacking in correct logical relation
From this reading This was unanswerable, if illogical.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
engage in
From this reading "Make the Chinese turn out.
masterfuladjectiveUS /ˈmæstərfəl/
having or revealing supreme mastery or skill
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
the force of workers available
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
noisieradjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪziər/
comparative of “noisy” — full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Make the Chinese turn out.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
in the near future
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
suffocationnounUS /ˌsʌfəˈkeɪʃən/
killing by depriving of oxygen
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The men have more need of rest than they."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was unanswerable, if illogical.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading "Make the Chinese turn out.
unanswerableadjectiveUS /ˌʌˈnænsərəbəl/
impossible to answer
From this reading This was unanswerable, if illogical.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
showing sorrow
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The sergeant went to do his bidding, and soon the street was noisier than ever, the dispossessed Chinamen in scattered knots cackling away in their high-pitched voices, some of them weeping, and crowding to suffocation the few houses that were not required by these masterful foreign devils.
which person or people
From this reading "Then we must empty them," said the captain, who was tired and grumpy.
