used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
balancedadjectiveUS /ˈbælənst/
being in a state of proper equilibrium
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
barkedverbUS /bɑːrkt/
past form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
customernounUS /ˈkʌstəmər/
someone who pays for goods or services
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
DickienounUS /ˈdɪki/
a small third seat in the back of an old-fashioned two-seater
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
divisible by two
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
fair-sized
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
gulpedverbUS /ɡʌlpt/
past form of “gulp” — to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
intriguedverbUS /ˈɪntriɡd/
past form of “intrigue” — cause to be interested or curious
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
irritableadjectiveUS /ˈɪrətəbəl/
easily irritated or annoyed
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
jerkedverbUS /dʒɜːrkt/
past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
for more time
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
take the midday meal
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
mealsnounUS /miːlz/
plural of “meal” — the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
easily agitated
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
not any; not one
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
the middle of the day
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
palmnounUS /pɑːm/
the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
personalitynounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti/
the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
restaurantnounUS /ˈrestərɑːnt/
a building where people go to eat
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
sallowadjective
unhealthy looking
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
SANCTUARYnounUS /ˈsæŋk.tʃu.er.i/
A place of safety, refuge, or holy retreat within the academy.
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
scowledverbUS /skaʊld/
past form of “scowl” — frown with displeasure
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
sluggishadjectiveUS /ˈslʌɡɪʃ/
moving slowly
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading For some reason, the man's clever and nervous personality intrigued his interest.
caught or fixed
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
in or at that place or location
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
tipnounUS /tɪp/
the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
traynounUS /treɪ/
an open receptacle for holding or displaying or serving articles or food
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading And this, although his customer never threw him a glance, scowled at a newspaper, barked out an order, gulped his food, stuck a fair-sized tip under the edge of his plate, and jerked himself away.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He came daily for one of his three meals: it might be lunch or dinner or even breakfast, Dickie was always in haste to serve him.
in or at the place that
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On a certain sluggish noon hour in August, Dickie, as far as the kitchen door with a tray balanced on his palm, realized that he had forgotten this man's order.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading SANCTUARY There came to the restaurant where Dickie worked, a certain sallow and irritable man, no longer in his early youth.
