used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
how long something has existed
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MATRIMONY AND SMOKING COMPARED.
on or to one side
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
bachelornounUS /ˈbætʃələr/
a man who has never been married
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading MATRIMONY AND SMOKING COMPARED.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
driftingnounUS /ˈdrɪftɪŋ/
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
only a very short time before
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
incompleteadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkəmˈpliːt/
not complete or total; not completed
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
issuingnounUS /ˈɪʃuːɪŋ/
the act of providing an item for general use or for official purposes (usually in quantity)
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
MATRIMONYnounUS /ˈmætrəmoʊni/
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading MATRIMONY AND SMOKING COMPARED.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
refrainverbUS /rɪˈfreɪn/
resist doing something
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
restlesslyadverbUS /ˈrestləsli/
in a restless manner
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading MATRIMONY AND SMOKING COMPARED.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
in the near future
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
toilverbUS /tɔɪl/
work hard
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
tragicadjectiveUS /ˈtrædʒɪk/
very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
migratory
From this reading To lay aside my pipe was to find myself soon afterward wandering restlessly round my table.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age.
at the time that
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these:
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the time came when I could refrain from smoking if doing nothing else, but hardly during the hours of toil.
