Chapter XII · Chapter 12

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

be able to spare or give up

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

of the greatest importance

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

after the expected or usual time; delayed

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

-ing form of “debate” — argue with one another

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

-ing form of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

wanted intensely

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

provide as food

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

cooking in fat or oil in a pan or griddle

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

a midwestern state in north-central United States

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

in the recent past

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

plural of “luxury” — something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

with modesty; in a modest manner

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

a particular point in time

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

have ownership or possession of

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

peculiarly fortunate or appropriate; as if by divine intervention

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

express in words

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

a mound or heap of snow

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

plural of “stable” — a farm building for housing horses or other livestock

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

before a time limit expires

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

a sudden or mysterious disappearance

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Mr. Reed, lately arrived from Illinois, was now sitting with his feet on the stove-hearth and so close to the coals that the cabin was strong with the odour of frying rubber, and declaring modestly:

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 WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading The all-important question had been whether he could at present afford it, with his money vanishing like a belated snowbank.

during the time that

From this reading Then, while he had been debating, Rufus Reed appeared at such a timely moment that it had seemed providential.

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

a female sorcerer or magician

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading "I may say, without braggin', that I have made an enormous success since I gave up my flour and feed store and took to well-diggin' as a perfession.

an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing

From this reading THE WATER WITCH In former days Wallie had wished for a yacht, his own stables, and such luxuries, but now he wanted a well with far greater intensity than he had desired those extravagances.