used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A THIEF'S EMBARRASSMENT.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
for the reason that
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
bootynounUS /ˈbuːti/
goods or money obtained illegally
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
recognizable; marked
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
dislikenounUS /dɪˈslaɪk/
an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
driftingnounUS /ˈdrɪftɪŋ/
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
EMBARRASSMENTnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading A THIEF'S EMBARRASSMENT.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
exultationnoun
a feeling of extreme joy
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
footballnounUS /ˈfʊtbɔːl/
any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
industrynounUS /ˈɪndəstri/
the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
Obed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
ofteneradverbUS /ˈɔːfənər/
more often or more frequently
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
on one occasion
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
go across or through
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
preferencenounUS /ˈprefərəns/
a strong liking
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
Stackpole's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
make steady
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
thiefnounUS /θiːf/
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
THIEF'SnounUS /θiːfs/
possessive form of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading A THIEF'S EMBARRASSMENT.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
at the time that
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When the thief left Obed Stackpole's cabin with his booty his heart was filled with exultation.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
witsnounUS /wɪts/
the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception
From this reading He had set out in life with a dislike for each, and a decided preference for living by his wits.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading And all this because he had never been willing to settle down to steady work or honest industry.
a late time of life
From this reading He had been drifting about for years, the football of fortune, oftener down than up, and had more than once known what it was to pass an entire day without food.
