used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
ailsnounUS /eɪlz/
plural of “ail” — aromatic bulb used as seasoning
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
apologiesnounUS /əˈpɑːlədʒiːz/
plural of “apology” — an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
buttingverbUS /ˈbʌtɪŋ/
-ing form of “butt” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
Carmontelle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
put or send forth
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
deucenounUS /duːs/
a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
exclamationnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃən/
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading But the next moment there was an exclamation:
opinion or judgment
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
a boy or man
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
destroyed or killed
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
a particular point in time
From this reading But the next moment there was an exclamation:
musicaladjectiveUS /ˈmjuːzɪkəl/
characterized by or capable of producing music
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
mutteringnounUS /ˈmʌtərɪŋ/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading But the next moment there was an exclamation:
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
PierrenounUS /piˈer/
capital of the state of South Dakota; located in central South Dakota on the Missouri river
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
recoiledverbUS /riˈkɔɪld/
past form of “recoil” — draw back, as with fear or pain
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
squaresnounUS /skwerz/
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/
past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But the next moment there was an exclamation:
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Both being tall and strong, they recoiled with some force from the shock, each muttering confused apologies.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
precisely as stated
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the next moment there was an exclamation:
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "Van Zandt, upon my word!" cried the musical voice of Pierre Carmontelle.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why, man, what the deuce ails you, to go butting up against a fellow in that striking fashion?"
Zandt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Van Zandt had gone but a few squares, with his eyes cast down and his mind very busy, before he stumbled up against a man coming from an opposite direction.
