used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
maintain with or as if with a bet
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
callousadjectiveUS /ˈkæləs/
emotionally hardened
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
intentionally conceived
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
disappearverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/
get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
fasteradverbUS /ˈfæstər/
more quickly
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
a young female
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
in a gradual manner
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
hazenounUS /heɪz/
atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
laborsnounUS /ˈleɪbərz/
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
money-making
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
mustachenounUS /ˈmʌstæʃ/
an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
not one, and not any
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
being perceived or observed
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
ribbonnounUS /ˈrɪbən/
any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading Through the haze he noticed that the girl had a bow of black ribbon fastened to her hair.
slimadjectiveUS /slɪm/
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
spotsnounUS /spɑːts/
spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
stingverbUS /stɪŋ/
cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The blue smoke from his cigar curled up through his mustache, it crept into his eyes and made them sting.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
a Caucasian
From this reading The movement of the slim white fingers caused him to look down, and he was conscious of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than usual.
withdrawnadjectiveUS /wɪθˈdrɔːn/
withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
From this reading But an accident happened--a money-making accident which some might call opportunity--and the hands had been withdrawn from their labors, and the callous spots had a chance to disappear--gradually, but none the less surely.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
you'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ll bet you’d be a good sport if you had the chance.”
