used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
BaasnounUS /bɑːz/
South African term for “boss”
From this reading "We cannot go in, Baas."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But--what if it is Slaang Kloof?"
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We cannot go in, Baas."
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
someone who is a detective
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
doggedadjectiveUS /dɔːɡd/
stubbornly unyielding
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "We cannot go in, Baas."
good-humouredadjective
disposed to please
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I never said it wasn't.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But--what if it is Slaang Kloof?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "We cannot go in, Baas."
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But--what if it is Slaang Kloof?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I never said it wasn't.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
jibbing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
Kloof
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But--what if it is Slaang Kloof?"
apprehended with certainty
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
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 A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
mulenounUS /mjuːl/
hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
nativesnounUS /ˈneɪtɪvz/
plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "I never said it wasn't.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
obstinateadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbstənət/
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
pleasingadjectiveUS /ˈpliːzɪŋ/
giving pleasure and satisfaction
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
reasonablenessnounUS /ˈriːzənəbʌlnəs/
the state of having good sense and sound judgment
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I never said it wasn't.
express in words
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
Selmes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
Slaang
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But--what if it is Slaang Kloof?"
speaker'snounUS /ˈspiːkərz/
possessive form of “speaker” — someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading And the speaker's pleasing, good-humoured face took on a dogged, not to say obstinate expression.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I never said it wasn't.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We cannot go in, Baas."
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But--what if it is Slaang Kloof?"
at the time that
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
the words that are spoken
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading A little more acquaintance with the country and its natives, and Dick Selmes would have known that when the countenance of one of these took on that expression, why, he might as well whisper words of sweet reasonableness into the long ears of an experienced and jibbing mule.
