1870
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading X. LETTERS 1870-71.
71
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading X. LETTERS 1870-71.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
boughtverbUS /bɑːt/
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
BUFFALOnounUS /ˈbʌfəloʊ/
large shaggy-haired brown bison of North American plains
From this reading MARK TWAIN IN BUFFALO.
CalifornianounUS /ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə/
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
Chapparal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
chokedadjectiveUS /tʃoʊkt/
stopped up; clogged up
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
concealverbUS /kənˈsiːl/
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/
made known or openly avowed
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
eatingnounUS /ˈiːtɪŋ/
the act of consuming food
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
famousadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪməs/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
fruitnounUS /fruːt/
the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
Gillis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
goodnessnounUS /ˈɡʊdnəs/
that which is pleasing or valuable or useful
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
inedibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnedəbəl/
not suitable for food
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/
free from evil or guilt
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
LETTERSnounUS /ˈletərz/
the literary culture
From this reading X. LETTERS 1870-71.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
livedverbUS /lɪvd/
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
MARKverbUS /mɑːrk/
attach a tag or label to
From this reading MARK TWAIN IN BUFFALO.
mentionverbUS /ˈmenʃən/
make reference to
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
motivenounUS /ˈmoʊtɪv/
the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
persistedverbUS /pərˈsɪstɪd/
past form of “persist” — continue to exist
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
plumsnounUS /plʌmz/
plural of “plum” — any of several trees producing edible oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single hard stone
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
QuailsnounUS /kweɪlz/
plural of “quail” — flesh of quail; suitable for roasting or broiling if young; otherwise must be braised
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
ranchnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
rareadjectiveUS /rer/
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
refersverbUS /rəˈfɜːrz/
third-person singular of “refer” — make reference to
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
RivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
squawnoun
derogatory terms for an American Indian woman
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
Stanislaus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
stewedadjectiveUS /stuːd/
cooked in hot water
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
suitorsnounUS /ˈsuːtərz/
plural of “suitor” — a man who courts a woman
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
TWAINnounUS /tweɪn/
two items of the same kind
From this reading MARK TWAIN IN BUFFALO.
wanderingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːndərɪŋ/
migratory
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were famous for their beauty and had many suitors.”
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The mention of “California plums” refers to some inedible fruit which Gillis once, out of pure goodness of heart, bought of a poor wandering squaw, and then, to conceal his motive, declared that they were something rare and fine, and persisted in eating them, though even when stewed they nearly choked him.
wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading “The 'Quails'--the beautiful, the innocent, the wild little Quails --lived way out in the Chapparal; on a little ranch near the Stanislaus River, with their father and mother.
XnounUS /eks/
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading X. LETTERS 1870-71.
