used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
(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 Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
bugsnounUS /bʌɡz/
plural of “bug” — general term for any insect or similar creeping or crawling invertebrate
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
buzzingadjectiveUS /ˈbʌzɪŋ/
noisy like the sound of a bee
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It had looked unattractive enough by night.
crudeadjectiveUS /kruːd/
not carefully or expertly made
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
dishesnounUS /ˈdɪʃəz/
plural of “dish” — a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
eelnounUS /iːl/
the fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It had looked unattractive enough by night.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
fishermannounUS /ˈfɪʃərmæn/
someone whose occupation is catching fish
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
frayedadjectiveUS /freɪd/
worn away or tattered along the edges
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had looked unattractive enough by night.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The sun streamed into the miserable old shanty.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had looked unattractive enough by night.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It had looked unattractive enough by night.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading The sun streamed into the miserable old shanty.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
netsnounUS /nets/
plural of “net” — a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It had looked unattractive enough by night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The sun streamed into the miserable old shanty.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
paraphernalianounUS /ˌperəfəˈneɪljə/
equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a particular operation or sport etc.
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
ramshackleadjectiveUS /ˈræmʃækəl/
in deplorable condition
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading Old fish nets, ragged, frayed lines, all the paraphernalia of a river fisherman lay scattered about.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
shabbyadjectiveUS /ˈʃæbi/
showing signs of wear and tear
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
shad-flies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
shantynounUS /ˈʃænti/
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading The sun streamed into the miserable old shanty.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
streamedverbUS /striːmd/
past form of “stream” — to extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind
From this reading The sun streamed into the miserable old shanty.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun streamed into the miserable old shanty.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sun streamed into the miserable old shanty.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
tinnounUS /tɪn/
a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
unattractiveadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈtræktɪv/
lacking beauty or charm
From this reading It had looked unattractive enough by night.
unwashedadjectiveUS /ənˈwɑːʃt/
of or associated with the great masses of people
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Seen by day it was ten times more shabby and ramshackle.
whirringnounUS /ˈwɜːrɪŋ/
sound of something in rapid motion
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On the crude table stood some unwashed tin dishes, great shad-flies and eel bugs buzzing about them with a whirring sound.
