Chapter III · Dead Men’s Shoes

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

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

plural of “accent” — distinctive manner of oral expression

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

troubled emotionally and usually deeply

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

(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 There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

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

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading David thought it was certainly a bad attack.

pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

cause to be slowed down or delayed

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

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

From this reading His voice shook a little, and he seemed very nervous.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

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

From this reading His voice shook a little, and he seemed very nervous.

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

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

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

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

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

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading His voice shook a little, and he seemed very nervous.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

a public toilet for men

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

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

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

a form of address for a man

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

easily agitated

From this reading His voice shook a little, and he seemed very nervous.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

(of games) engaged in

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

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

From this reading His voice shook a little, and he seemed very nervous.

a particular situation

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading His voice shook a little, and he seemed very nervous.

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

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

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

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

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading David thought it was certainly a bad attack.

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

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

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

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

precisely as stated

From this reading “It’s another attack—a very bad one,” said Edward in the hall.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading His voice shook a little, and he seemed very nervous.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

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

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

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

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

in the company of; together with

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading It was about a week later that Edward Mottisfont rang David Blake up on the telephone and begged him in agitated accents, to come to Mr. Mottisfont without delay.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading There’s many a weary game to be played With never a penny to choose, But the weariest game in all the world Is waiting for dead men’s shoes.