to or in a foreign country
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
awaitverbUS /əˈweɪt/
look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
next to; at the side of
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
boomingadjectiveUS /ˈbuːmɪŋ/
very lively and profitable
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
(plural) the deepest and most remote part
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
employernounUS /emˈplɔɪər/
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
EVENTFULadjectiveUS /ɪˈventfəl/
full of events or incidents
From this reading AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
floodedadjectiveUS /ˈflʌdəd/
covered with water
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
gratuitynounUS /ɡrəˈtuːɪti/
a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter)
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
gurgled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
and nothing more
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
landing-stage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
immediately past
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
the light of the Moon
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
muggyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌɡi/
hot or warm and humid
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
of an obscure nature
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
not any; not one
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
oilyadjectiveUS /ˈɔɪli/
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
placidadjectiveUS /ˈplæsəd/
(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
planksnounUS /plæŋks/
plural of “plank” — a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
quaintadjectiveUS /kweɪnt/
strange in an interesting or pleasing way
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
sampansnounUS /ˈsæmpænz/
plural of “sampan” — an Asian skiff usually propelled by two oars
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
the state of being asleep
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
refrain from harming
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
precisely as stated
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
an act of traveling by water
From this reading AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
wharfnounUS /wɔːrf/
a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
at the time that
From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
which person or people
From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
wreathsnounUS /riːθs/
plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
