used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/
not being in a specified place
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
in addition
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
bakedadjectiveUS /beɪkt/
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
Bakhsh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
bricksnounUS /brɪks/
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
candlesnounUS /ˈkændəlz/
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
Cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
chippedverbUS /tʃɪpt/
inflected form of “chip” — break off (a piece from a whole)
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
coolienoun
(ethnic slur) an offensive name for an unskilled Asian laborer
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
downwardsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnwərdz/
spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
remove the dust from
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
a boy or man
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
HOUSE-BUILDING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOUSE-BUILDING.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
katcha
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
set afire or burning
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
litternounUS /ˈlɪtər/
the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
Nabi
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
neglectedadjectiveUS /nəˈɡlektəd/
disregarded
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
and nothing more
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
pakka
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
pillarsnounUS /ˈpɪlərz/
plural of “pillar” — a fundamental principle or practice
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
standstillnounUS /ˈstændstɪl/
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
strictadjectiveUS /strɪkt/
rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
sun-driedadjective
dried naturally by the sun
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
upwardsadverbUS /ˈʌpwərdz/
spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position
From this reading Instead of growing upwards, they seem to grow downwards, like lighted candles.
verandanounUS /vərˈændə/
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
WHAT'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
at the time that
From this reading The bricks also are good for nothing—chipped, broken, katcha [only sun-dried], when I gave strict orders for pakka [baked].
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Cannot a fellow be absent for a week without finding everything neglected, everything at a standstill?—Nabi Bakhsh!
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “WHAT’S this?—not a coolie at work; the place a litter of bricks and dust; the pillars of the veranda not a foot high!
