used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “A snow-storm in the tropics!
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading How could that be?”
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading How could that be?”
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
fishingnounUS /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/
the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How could that be?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “A snow-storm in the tropics!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
and nothing more
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
PerunounUS /pərˈuː/
a republic in western South America; achieved independence from Spain in 1821; was the heart of the Inca empire from the 12th to 16th centuries
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
sealverbUS /siːl/
make tight; secure against leakage
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
snow-storm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “A snow-storm in the tropics!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
in the near future
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading How could that be?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “A snow-storm in the tropics!
in or at that place or location
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
tradingnounUS /ˈtreɪdɪŋ/
buying or selling securities or commodities
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
tropicsnounUS /ˈtrɑːpɪks/
the part of the Earth's surface between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; characterized by a hot climate
From this reading “A snow-storm in the tropics!
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
precisely as stated
From this reading My only amusement was seal fishing; but I soon tired of that, for I was not very successful.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
at the time that
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I was in a town, but it was a dull one, and only showed signs of life when some trading vessel would lie there for a day or two.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “It happened when I was quite a young man, that, for several months, in the course of business, I had to stay at a lonely place on the coast of Peru.
