used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
BloomnounUS /bluːm/
the organic process of bearing flowers
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
bulbsnounUS /bʌlbz/
plural of “bulb” — a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
CHACMAS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
a social unit living together
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
fignounUS /fɪɡ/
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
growsverbUS /ɡroʊz/
third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
Hottentotnoun
any of the Khoisan languages spoken by the pastoral people of Namibia and South Africa
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
Ixias
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
Mesembryanthemums
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
nutsadjectiveUS /nʌts/
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
the local environment
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
pig-nut
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
rootsnounUS /ruːts/
the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
speciesnounUS /ˈspiːʃiz/
(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
staplenounUS /ˈsteɪpəl/
(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
substituteverbUS /ˈsʌbstətuːt/
put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
suppliedverbUS /səˈplaɪd/
inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
TOTTY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
vegetablesnounUS /ˈvedʒtəbəlz/
plural of “vegetable” — edible seeds or roots or stems or leaves or bulbs or tubers or nonsweet fruits of any of numerous herbaceous plant
From this reading For vegetables they had the bulbs of many species of _Ixias_ and _Mesembryanthemums_, among others the "Hottentot fig."
Von
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Of the latter, they had the ground or pig-nut, which grows in all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple food of the native inhabitants.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were not without a substitute, however, as various roots and nuts supplied them with a change of food.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Von Bloom and his family had now been months without bread.
