adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Fire and the Foreigner.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They are odd folk, these foreigners.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
attendverbUS /əˈtend/
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/
third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
cafenounUS /kəˈfeɪ/
a small restaurant where drinks and snacks are sold
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
carenounUS /ker/
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
dominoesnounUS /ˈdɑːmənoʊz/
any of several games played with small rectangular blocks
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
eastnounUS /iːst/
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
exclusivelyadverbUS /ɪkˈskluːsɪvli/
without any others being included or involved
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
feeblenessnoun
the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age)
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
feelverbUS /fiːl/
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
FireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading Fire and the Foreigner.
folknounUS /foʊk/
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading They are odd folk, these foreigners.
ForeignernounUS /ˈfɔːrənər/
a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading Fire and the Foreigner.
foreignersnounUS /ˈfɔːrənərz/
plural of “foreigner” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading They are odd folk, these foreigners.
freezingnounUS /ˈfriːzɪŋ/
the withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
icyadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsi/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/
a polite name for any woman
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
milesnounUS /maɪlz/
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
muddlenounUS /ˈmʌdəl/
a confused multitude of things
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
obligeverbUS /əˈblaɪdʒ/
force somebody to do something
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/
not divisible by two
From this reading They are odd folk, these foreigners.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
playverbUS /pleɪ/
participate in games or sport
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/
show unwillingness towards
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
rushingnounUS /ˈrʌʃɪŋ/
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
sitverbUS /sɪt/
be seated
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
speakverbUS /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
standverbUS /stænd/
be standing; be upright
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Fire and the Foreigner.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading They are odd folk, these foreigners.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are odd folk, these foreigners.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
tramcarnoun
a four-wheeled wagon that runs on tracks in a mine
From this reading They will stand outside a tramcar, rushing through the icy air at fifteen miles an hour, and refuse to go inside, even to oblige a lady.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
washverbUS /wɑːʃ/
clean with some chemical process
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading There are moments of despair when I almost give them up--feel I don't care what becomes of them--feel as if I could let them muddle on in their own way--wash my hands of them, so to speak, and attend exclusively to my own business: we all have our days of feebleness.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
windnounUS /waɪnd/
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading They will sit outside a cafe on a freezing night, with an east wind blowing, and play dominoes.
