used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
(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 Zeph had wandered to Stanley Junction all on fire with it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases.
carefully weighed
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
DallasnounUS /ˈdæləs/
a large commercial and industrial city in northeastern Texas located in the heart of the northern Texas oil fields
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
disdainedverbUS /dɪsˈdeɪnd/
past form of “disdain” — look down on with disdain
From this reading He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases.
erraticadjectiveUS /ɪˈrætɪk/
liable to sudden unpredictable change
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
estimationnounUS /ˌestəˈmeɪʃən/
a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Zeph had wandered to Stanley Junction all on fire with it.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
usually; as a rule
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
humdrumadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmdrʌm/
not challenging; dull and lacking excitement
From this reading He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Zeph had wandered to Stanley Junction all on fire with it.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
JunctionnounUS /ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
the place where two or more things come together
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
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 A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
the force of workers available
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Zeph had wandered to Stanley Junction all on fire with it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
phasesnounUS /ˈfeɪzəz/
plural of “phase” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases.
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
railroadingnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊdɪŋ/
the activity of designing and constructing and operating railroads
From this reading He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases.
Ralph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
in a serious manner
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
StanleynounUS /ˈstænli/
United States inventor who built a steam-powered automobile (1849-1918)
From this reading Zeph had wandered to Stanley Junction all on fire with it.
not in physical motion
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
carry out
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Zeph had wandered to Stanley Junction all on fire with it.
at the time that
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.
Zeph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A STRANGE MESSAGE Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke.
