Chapter I

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

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 _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

(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 Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

a republic in southwestern Africa on the Atlantic Ocean; achieved independence from Portugal in 1975 and was the scene of civil war until 1990

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

the dialect of Sotho spoken by the Basotho; an official language of Lesotho

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

a member of a Bantu people living chiefly in Botswana and western South Africa

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

the people of Great Britain

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

a person who eats human flesh

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

serving as an essential component

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

a government administrator

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

a republic in central Africa; achieved independence from Belgium in 1960

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

a body serving in an administrative capacity

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

a British peer of the highest rank

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

plural of “edition” — the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

the organ of sight

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

marked with or divided into degrees

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

any of the Khoisan languages spoken by the pastoral people of Namibia and South Africa

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

and nothing more

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

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 Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

a Nilotic language

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

a Bantu language sometimes considered a dialect of Zulu

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

the force of workers available

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

a form of address for a man

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

in a northern direction

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

and nothing more

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

an unusually small individual

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

one of four equal parts

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

plural of “race” — any competition

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

plural of “sander” — a power tool used for sanding wood; an endless loop of sandpaper is moved at high speed by an electric motor

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

plural of “stage” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

plural of “suburb” — a residential district located on the outskirts of a city

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Author of "Four Just Men," "The Council of Justice," "The Duke in the Suburbs," etc.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Now, there is a subtle difference between all these races, a difference that only such men as Sanders know.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

an imaginary creature represented as a white horse with a long horn growing from its forehead

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

toward the west

From this reading Then curiosity and interest took him westward and northward, and he met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Masai, and finally, by way of the Pigmy people, he came to his own land.

at the time that

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

a Caucasian

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

which person or people

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

in the company of; together with

From this reading _In Various Editions._ Mr. Commissioner Sanders had graduated to West Central Africa by such easy stages that he did not realise when his acquaintance with the back lands began.

a late time of life

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.

a member of the tall Negroid people of eastern South Africa; some live in KwaZulu-Natal under the traditional clan system but many now work in the cities

From this reading Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had regarded white men as we regard the unicorn; he had met the Basuto, the Zulu, the Fingo, the Pondo, Matabele, Mashona, Barotse, Hottentot, and Bechuana.