used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The present chapter is not a complete statement.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Their history needs to be written.
for the reason that
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
BLUESnounUS /bluːz/
a type of folksong that originated among Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century; has a melancholy sound from repeated use of blue notes
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading The present chapter is not a complete statement.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading The present chapter is not a complete statement.
contributionnounUS /ˌkɑːntrəˈbjuːʃən/
the effort contributed by a person in bringing about a result
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
distinctiveadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋktɪv/
of a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Their history needs to be written.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The present chapter is not a complete statement.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
and nothing more
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
used to form the superlative
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading Their history needs to be written.
NegronounUS /ˈniːɡroʊ/
a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
Negro's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
not any; not one
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
offersnounUS /ˈɔːfərz/
plural of “offer” — the verbal act of offering
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The present chapter is not a complete statement.
presentsnounUS /ˈprezənts/
plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
continue talking
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
rôle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
salientadjectiveUS /ˈseɪliənt/
having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
in a serious manner
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
spiritualsnounUS /ˈspɪrɪtʃuːəlz/
plural of “spiritual” — a kind of religious song originated by Blacks in the southern United States
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading The present chapter is not a complete statement.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
suggestionsnounUS /səˈdʒestʃənz/
plural of “suggestion” — an idea that is suggested
From this reading It merely presents some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some suggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their history needs to be written.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading They have not been taken seriously, because they have never been thoroughly understood.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
WORKADAYadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkədeɪ/
found in the ordinary course of events
From this reading THE BLUES: WORKADAY SORROW SONGS No story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues, for, next to the spirituals, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distinctive contribution to American art.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Their history needs to be written.
