Chapter II

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was a rare evening in old Belize.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

a variety of bridge in which tricks made in excess of the contract are scored toward game; now generally superseded by contract bridge

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

a country on the northeastern coast of Central America on the Caribbean; formerly under British control

From this reading It was a rare evening in old Belize.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

of black tinged with blue

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the act of buying

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carl Pretzel was singing.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CARL'S SERENADE.

clothing in general

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

plural of “diamond” — a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading It was a rare evening in old Belize.

something many people believe that is false

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was a rare evening in old Belize.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a rare evening in old Belize.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

glazed and salted cracker typically in the shape of a loose knot

From this reading Carl Pretzel was singing.

not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness

From this reading It was a rare evening in old Belize.

occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

a musical composition in several movements; has no fixed form

From this reading CARL'S SERENADE.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading Carl Pretzel was singing.

a short musical composition with words

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

a yellow quartz

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Carl Pretzel was singing.

superlative of “wild” — marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

in the company of; together with

From this reading If any one with an ear for music had heard him they might have guessed that he was selling fish, or buying old clothes, or having an auction with himself, but not, by the wildest flight of fancy, could they have imagined that he had burst into song.

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds.