used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
any thing at all
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
carefully weighed
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
devilsnounUS /ˈdevəlz/
plural of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading THE FATHER OF THE TRIBE.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
gloomilyadverbUS /ˈɡluːməli/
with gloom
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
grievancenounUS /ˈɡriːvəns/
a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
a small worthless amount
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FATHER OF THE TRIBE.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
revertedverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrtɪd/
past form of “revert” — go back to a previous state
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
savagerynounUS /ˈsævɪdʒeri/
the property of being untamed and ferocious
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
carry out
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FATHER OF THE TRIBE.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
TRIBEnounUS /traɪb/
a social division of (usually preliterate) people
From this reading THE FATHER OF THE TRIBE.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "He can do nothing but talk," said Big Jack gloomily, returning to what he evidently considered a grievance.
at the time that
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
in the company of; together with
From this reading That evening Smith asked Big Jack if he might see his father, and have a talk with him.
but in spite of that
From this reading This completely took the wind out of Smith, and helped him better than anything he had yet seen or heard to understand how these poor devils had reverted to absolute savagery.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "If, when you go back to your tribe, you will take him away, I will give him to you."
