used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
(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 All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
assailantsnounUS /əˈseɪlənts/
plural of “assailant” — someone who attacks
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
attacksnounUS /əˈtæks/
plural of “attack” — (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
attemptsnounUS /əˈtempts/
plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
beggarsnounUS /ˈbeɡərz/
plural of “beggar” — a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
boomingadjectiveUS /ˈbuːmɪŋ/
very lively and profitable
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
bravelyadverbUS /ˈbreɪvli/
in a courageous manner
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
Butaroku
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
compassionatelyadverbUS /kəmˈpæʃənətliː/
in a compassionate manner
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
cupiditynounUS /kjuːˈpɪdɪti/
extreme greed for material wealth
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
debtnounUS /det/
the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
defendingadjectiveUS /dɪˈfendɪŋ/
attempting to or designed to prevent an opponent from winning or scoring
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
depressionnounUS /dɪˈpreʃən/
a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
disconsolatelyadverb
in grief-stricken loneliness; without comforting circumstances or prospects
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
a young female
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
Izæmon's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
Jurobei
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
mercilessadjectiveUS /ˈmɜːrsələs/
having or showing no mercy
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
the act of departing politely
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
pilgrimnounUS /ˈpɪlɡrəm/
someone who journeys in foreign lands
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
preynounUS /preɪ/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
procureverbUS /proʊˈkjʊr/
get by special effort
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
with little or no delay
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
resistingverbUS /rɪˈzɪstɪŋ/
-ing form of “resist” — elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
action taken in return for an injury or offense
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
carry out
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Seeing how matters stood, Jurobei promptly drove the beggars away with his stick, and then, to avoid the return of her assailants, he compassionately took the child by the hand and led her home with him.
tormentingverbUS /ˈtɔːrmentɪŋ/
-ing form of “torment” — torment emotionally or mentally
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
hard to endure
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Suddenly in the road he came upon a group of beggars surrounding a little girl dressed as a pilgrim.
walletnounUS /ˈwɔːlət/
a pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The temple bell was booming the hour of parting day as Jurobei disconsolately hurried home.
wayfarernoun
a pedestrian who walks from place to place
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
wherewith
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All his attempts had failed to procure the money wherewith to pay Izæmon's debt to Butaroku, and knowing that Butaroku was the kind of man to take a merciless revenge, he was in a mood of profound depression.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
wrestverbUS /rest/
obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
wretches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wretches, thinking her an easy prey to their cupidity, were tormenting the poor little wayfarer and trying to wrest from her the contents of her wallet, but she was bravely defending herself and resisting their attacks with great spirit.
