used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
artisansnounUS /ˈɑːrtəzənz/
plural of “artisan” — a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft
From this reading They were chronically discouraged, and the merchants and artisans of the town were in the same state.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was a miserable place in which to be born.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
brought into existence
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
chronicallyadverbUS /ˈkrɑːnɪkəli/
in a habitual and longstanding manner
From this reading They were chronically discouraged, and the merchants and artisans of the town were in the same state.
derisionnounUS /dərˈɪʒən/
contemptuous laughter
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
discouragedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɜːrədʒd/
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading They were chronically discouraged, and the merchants and artisans of the town were in the same state.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/
a deliberate act of omission
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
gauntadjectiveUS /ɡɔːnt/
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
an opening into or through something
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
Hugh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
Hugh's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a miserable place in which to be born.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
LandingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
McVey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
the force of workers available
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
merchantsnounUS /ˈmɜːrtʃənts/
plural of “merchant” — a businessperson engaged in retail trade
From this reading They were chronically discouraged, and the merchants and artisans of the town were in the same state.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading It was a miserable place in which to be born.
MississippinounUS /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/
a major North American river and the chief river of the United States; rises in northern Minnesota and flows southward into the Gulf of Mexico
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
MissourinounUS /məˈzʊri/
a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
Mudcatnoun
flesh of scaleless food fish of the southern United States; often farmed
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
no-accountadjective
without merit; of little or no value or use
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It was a miserable place in which to be born.
any competition
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
Identical; not different.
From this reading They were chronically discouraged, and the merchants and artisans of the town were in the same state.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/
lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
stonyadjectiveUS /ˈstoʊni/
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
stripverbUS /strɪp/
take away possessions from someone
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
caught or fixed
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
tilledadjective
turned or stirred by plowing or harrowing or hoeing
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was a miserable place in which to be born.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
unproductiveadjectiveUS /ˌʌnprəˈdʌktɪv/
not producing or capable of producing
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were chronically discouraged, and the merchants and artisans of the town were in the same state.
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading Hugh McVey was born in a little hole of a town stuck on a mud bank on the western shore of the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was a miserable place in which to be born.
which person or people
From this reading The soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
worthlessadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrθləs/
lacking in usefulness or value
From this reading With the exception of a narrow strip of black mud along the river, the land for ten miles back from the town--called in derision by river men “Mudcat Landing”--was almost entirely worthless and unproductive.
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 soil, yellow, shallow and stony, was tilled, in Hugh's time, by a race of long gaunt men who seemed as exhausted and no-account as the land on which they lived.
