used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
subject to appointment
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
bagsnounUS /bæɡz/
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
beernounUS /bɪr/
a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
belatedadjectiveUS /bɪˈleɪtɪd/
after the expected or usual time; delayed
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
blackenedadjectiveUS /ˈblækənd/
darkened by smoke
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
bottlesnounUS /ˈbɑːtəlz/
plural of “bottle” — a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
chorusnounUS /ˈkɔːrəs/
any utterance produced simultaneously by a group
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading Joyce had finished dressing.
dressing-ledges
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
dressing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
to or in any or all places
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading Joyce had finished dressing.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
garmentsnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənts/
plural of “garment” — an article of clothing
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
gas-jets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
grease-paints
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Joyce had finished dressing.
half-attired
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
half-emptied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
JoycenounUS /dʒɔɪs/
influential Irish writer noted for his many innovations (such as stream of consciousness writing) (1882-1941)
From this reading Joyce had finished dressing.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
lustilyadverb
in a healthy manner
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
malenounUS /meɪl/
an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
the force of workers available
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
moustachioed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
and nothing more
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Everywhere was a confusion of garments, grease-paints, open bags, beer bottles, and half-emptied glasses.
other's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
coated with paint
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
prevailedverbUS /prɪˈveɪld/
past form of “prevail” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
reeked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
move upward
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
soapnounUS /soʊp/
a cleansing agent made from the salts of vegetable or animal fats
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
in a strange manner
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
stuffinessnoun
state of obstruction or stoppage or air in the nose or throat
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
sworeverbUS /swɔːr/
inflected form of “swear” — utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
tobacconounUS /təˈbækoʊ/
leaves of the tobacco plant dried and prepared for smoking or ingestion
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
which person or people
From this reading It wanted only five minutes to the rise of the curtain, and hurry prevailed among belated ones, who got in each other’s way and swore lustily.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The common dressing-room appointed for the male members of the chorus was crowded with half-attired men, strangely painted and moustachioed.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The low, blackened ceiling beat down the heat from the gas-jets over the dressing-ledges, and the air reeked of stuffiness, tobacco, and yellow soap.
