used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
(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 The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
canonnounUS /ˈkænən/
a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field of art or philosophy
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading Clay had faced a cattle stampede.
ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
ClaynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
eddyverbUS /ˈedi/
flow in a circular current, of liquids
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/
past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
give expression to
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading Clay had faced a cattle stampede.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
frontier-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
the force of workers available
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
a particular point in time
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
PennsylvanianounUS /ˌpensəlˈveɪnjə/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
portersnounUS /ˈpɔːrtərz/
plural of “porter” — a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
move hurridly
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
rushingnounUS /ˈrʌʃɪŋ/
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line
From this reading He could hear the roar of it like a river rushing down a canon.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
shoutsnounUS /ʃaʊts/
plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
stampedeverbUS /stæmˈpiːd/
cause to run in panic
From this reading Clay had faced a cattle stampede.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
Thirty-Fourthadjective
the ordinal number of thirty-four in counting order
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
threatnounUS /θret/
something that is a source of danger
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
at the time that
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
whirlverbUS /wɜːrl/
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The shouts of the porters, the rush of men and women toward the gates, the whirl and eddy of a vast life all about him, took him back to the few hours he had spent in Chicago.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading THE BIG TOWN When Clay stepped from the express into the Pennsylvania Station he wondered for a moment if there was a circus or a frontier-day show in town.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading As he emerged at the Thirty-Fourth Street entrance New York burst upon him with what seemed almost a threat.
