used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
(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 All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
ArabiannounUS /əˈreɪbiən/
a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
BalthasarnounUS /ˈbælθəsər/
(New Testament) one of the three sages from the east who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
calendarsnounUS /ˈkæləndərz/
plural of “calendar” — a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
camelnounUS /ˈkæməl/
cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
consultedverbUS /kənˈsʌltəd/
past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
incomprehensibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪŋkɑːmprəˈhensɪbəl/
incapable of being explained or accounted for
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
IndusnounUS /ˈɪndəs/
a faint constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Tucana
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
lazyadjectiveUS /ˈleɪzi/
moving slowly and gently
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
the force of workers available
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
MoorverbUS /mʊr/
secure in or as if in a berth or dock
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
MoorsnounUS /mʊrz/
plural of “moor” — one of the Muslim people of north Africa; of mixed Arab and Berber descent; converted to Islam in the 8th century; conqueror of Spain in the 8th century
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
newlyadverbUS /ˈnuːli/
very recently
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
not one, and not any
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading A newly discovered star brought the man from the banks of the Indus.
starlightnounUS /ˈstɑːrlaɪt/
the light of the stars
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
express in words
From this reading He consulted all the calendars of the East, but none could tell him about the star.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading All men are Moors in the dark, but this man was a Moor in the starlight.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Balthasar, however, was not the man to let the strange, incomprehensible star escape him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A stranger was riding a lazy camel across the lonely Arabian desert.
