used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
any thing at all
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
buildingsnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋz/
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
diggingsnoun
an excavation for ore or precious stones or for archaeology
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
Earthmannoun
an inhabitant of the earth
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
enragedadjectiveUS /enˈreɪdʒd/
marked by extreme anger
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
enslaveverbUS /enˈsleɪv/
make a slave of; bring into servitude
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
escortedverbUS /eˈskɔːrtɪd/
past form of “escort” — accompany as an escort
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
at any time
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
existverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪst/
have an existence, be extant
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
obtain
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
greenish-brownadjective
of brown tinged with green
From this reading They were tall and slender, and their greenish-brown skin was rough and irregular.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
Hanlon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
irregularadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈreɡjələr/
contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice
From this reading They were tall and slender, and their greenish-brown skin was rough and irregular.
the force of workers available
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
have ownership or possession of
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
PhilanderverbUS /fəˈlændər/
have amorous affairs; of men
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading They were tall and slender, and their greenish-brown skin was rough and irregular.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
the display of a motion picture
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading They were tall and slender, and their greenish-brown skin was rough and irregular.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading They were tall and slender, and their greenish-brown skin was rough and irregular.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
not in physical motion
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
stockadenounUS /ˈstɑːkeɪd/
fortification consisting of a fence made of a line of stout posts set firmly for defense
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
SuperintendentnounUS /ˌsuːpərənˈtendənt/
a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
believed likely
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading They were tall and slender, and their greenish-brown skin was rough and irregular.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
in or at that place or location
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were so entirely different from anything he had ever suspected might exist.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were tall and slender, and their greenish-brown skin was rough and irregular.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
which person or people
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
workersnounUS /ˈwɜːrkərz/
plural of “worker” — a person who works at a specific occupation
From this reading For an hour Superintendent Philander escorted George Hanlon about the diggings, showing him the various buildings and the workers' stockade.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading ("Prison" would be a better word, Hanlon thought, enraged that there were still men who would enslave others for their own personal gain.)
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young Earthman got a real shock of surprise at his first sight of the native.
