used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
adventurousadjectiveUS /ædˈventʃərəs/
willing to undertake or seeking out new and daring enterprises
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
applicantnounUS /ˈæplɪkənt/
a person who requests or seeks something such as assistance or employment or admission
From this reading In proportion to the distress of the applicant was the hardness of his terms.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading His door was soon thronged by customers.
crackedadjectiveUS /krækt/
used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
approval
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
customersnounUS /ˈkʌstəmərz/
plural of “customer” — someone who pays for goods or services
From this reading His door was soon thronged by customers.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
psychological suffering
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading His door was soon thronged by customers.
dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
exactedverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktɪd/
past form of “exact” — claim as due or just
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
gamblingnounUS /ˈɡæmbəlɪŋ/
the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
hardnessnounUS /ˈhɑːrdnəs/
the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
From this reading In proportion to the distress of the applicant was the hardness of his terms.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His door was soon thronged by customers.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
jobbernounUS /ˈdʒɑːbər/
someone who buys large quantities of goods and resells to merchants rather than to the ultimate customers
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
needyadjectiveUS /ˈniːdi/
poor enough to need help from others
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
propitiousadjectiveUS /prəˈpɪʃəs/
presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
proportionnounUS /prəˈpɔːrʃən/
the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole
From this reading In proportion to the distress of the applicant was the hardness of his terms.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
raise the level or amount of something
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
sacrificesnounUS /ˈsækrəfaɪsɪz/
plural of “sacrifice” — the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
express in words
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
securitynounUS /sɪˈkjʊrəti/
the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
in the near future
From this reading His door was soon thronged by customers.
speculatornounUS /ˈspekjəleɪtər/
someone who makes conjectures without knowing the facts
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading In proportion to the distress of the applicant was the hardness of his terms.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
thriftlessadjective
careless of the future
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
throngedadjectiveUS /θrɔːŋd/
filled with great numbers crowded together
From this reading His door was soon thronged by customers.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
male cat
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
tradesmannoun
a merchant who owns or manages a shop
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
universaladjectiveUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəl/
of worldwide scope or applicability
From this reading Thus Tom was the universal friend of the needy, and he acted like a “friend in need;” that is to say, he always exacted good pay and good security.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
usurernoun
someone who lends money at excessive rates of interest
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
WalkernounUS /ˈwɔːkər/
New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)
From this reading At this propitious time of public distress did Tom Walker set up as a usurer in Boston.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His door was soon thronged by customers.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The needy and the adventurous; the gambling speculator; the dreaming land jobber; the thriftless tradesman; the merchant with cracked credit; in short, every one driven to raise money by desperate means and desperate sacrifices, hurried to Tom Walker.
