used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
ATTICnounUS /ˈætɪk/
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
BadgerverbUS /ˈbædʒər/
annoy persistently
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
BentonnounUS /ˈbentən/
United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
rid of obstructions
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
creditableadjectiveUS /ˈkredətəbəl/
worthy of often limited commendation
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
decidedlyadverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli/
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
derivingnounUS /dərˈaɪvɪŋ/
(historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
dollarnounUS /ˈdɑːlər/
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
farmersnounUS /ˈfɑːrmərz/
plural of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
garbnounUS /ɡɑːrb/
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
honestynounUS /ˈɑːnəsti/
the quality of being honest
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
ill-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
inquiriesnounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/
plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
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 THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
the force of workers available
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
Nathan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
neighborhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
not one, and not any
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
penitentiaryadjectiveUS /ˌpenɪˈtentʃəri/
used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
strollingverbUS /ˈstroʊlɪŋ/
-ing form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
Tapley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
thereinadverbUS /ðeˈrɪn/
(formal) in or into that thing or place
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
male cat
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
trampnounUS /træmp/
a vagrant
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
trampsnounUS /træmpz/
plural of “tramp” — a vagrant
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
trustedadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌstɪd/
(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
vicenounUS /vaɪs/
moral weakness
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/
plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading Some tramps are honest men, the victims of misfortune, not of vice, but Tom Tapley belonged to a less creditable class.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
which person or people
From this reading He had made some inquiries about the farmers in the neighborhood, and his attention was drawn to Nathan Badger as a man who was likely to keep money in the house.
belonging to which person
From this reading THE BATTLE IN THE ATTIC About ten minutes after Bill Benton left his little chamber an ill-looking man, whose garb and general appearance made it clear that he was a tramp, came strolling across the fields.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He had served two terms in a State penitentiary without deriving any particular moral benefit from his retired life therein.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading His ideas on the subject of honesty were decidedly loose, and none who knew him well would have trusted him with the value of a dollar.
