used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
additionaladjectiveUS /əˈdɪʃənəl/
further or added
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
(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 And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
back-block
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
for the reason that
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
egregiousadjectiveUS /ɪˈɡriːdʒəs/
conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
farthestadverbUS /ˈfɑːrðəst/
to the greatest distance in space or time (“farthest” is used more often than “furthest” in this physical sense)
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
a boy or man
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
glowingadjectiveUS /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/
highly enthusiastic
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
without good reason
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
the force of workers available
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
used to form the superlative
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
music-stool
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
easily agitated
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
painsnounUS /peɪnz/
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
performernounUS /pərˈfɔːrmər/
an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
pianonounUS /piˈænoʊ/
a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
(of games) engaged in
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
sensitiveadjectiveUS /ˈsensətɪv/
responsive to physical stimuli
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
sentimentaladjectiveUS /ˌsentəˈmentəl/
given to or marked by sentiment or sentimentality
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
singernounUS /ˈsɪŋər/
a person who sings
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
swayedverbUS /sweɪd/
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
syllablenounUS /ˈsɪləbəl/
a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
Taroomba
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
a special situation
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
travelledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/
familiar with many parts of the world
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.
unmistakableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnmɪˈsteɪkəbəl/
clearly evident to the mind
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room.
the words that are spoken
From this reading They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba.
