used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
abandonverbUS /əˈbændən/
forsake, leave behind
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
accommodatedverbUS /əˈkɑːmədeɪtɪd/
past form of “accommodate” — be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
having companions or an escort
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
appetitenounUS /ˈæpətaɪt/
a feeling of craving something
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
Costeclar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
crumbsnounUS /krʌmz/
plural of “crumb” — a very small quantity of something
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
disdainverbUS /dɪsˈdeɪn/
look down on with disdain
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
excessiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsesɪv/
beyond normal limits
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
fishesnounUS /ˈfɪʃəz/
plural of “fish” — any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
operateverbUS /ˈɑːpəreɪt/
direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
patronsnounUS /ˈpeɪtrənz/
plural of “patron” — a regular customer
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/
possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
proofsnounUS /pruːfs/
plural of “proof” — any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
SharksnounUS /ʃɑːrks/
plural of “shark” — any of numerous elongate mostly marine carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
spoilsnounUS /spɔɪlz/
plural of “spoil” — (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war)
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
timidlyadverbUS /ˈtɪmədli/
in a shy or timid or bashful manner
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
at the time that
From this reading But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people’s money.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I know now,” he replied, “among whom the spoils were divided.
in the company of; together with
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about.
