used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
affordedverbUS /əˈfɔːrdəd/
past form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
the two together, not just one
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
BurroughsnounUS /ˈbʌroʊz/
United States writer noted for his works portraying the life of drug addicts (1914-1997)
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
separated into parts or pieces
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
employingverbUS /emˈplɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “employ” — put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
EnglishmennounUS /ˌeŋˈlɪʃmən/
plural of “englishman” — a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
EuropeannounUS /ˌjʊrəˈpiːən/
a native or inhabitant of Europe
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
feweradjectiveUS /ˈfjuːər/
(comparative of “few” used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
moving swiftly
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
set up or found
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
functionsnounUS /ˈfʌŋkʃənz/
plural of “function” — (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function)
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
hydroplaning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
leisurenounUS /ˈleʒər/
time available for ease and relaxation
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
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 They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
opportunitiesnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnətiz/
plural of “opportunity” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
pastimenounUS /ˈpæstaɪm/
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
preferredadjectiveUS /prəˈfɜːrd/
more desirable than another
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
racketing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
recreations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
resourcesnounUS /ˈriːsɔːrsɪz/
plural of “resource” — available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
ShanghainounUS /ˈʃæŋˈhaɪ/
the largest city of China; located in the east on the Pacific; one of the largest ports in the world
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
relating to human society and its members
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
sparedverbUS /sperd/
past form of “spare” — refrain from harming
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading The intense cold made hydroplaning or flying a pastime of doubtful pleasure, and they had to fall back on their own resources, or on the recreations afforded by the European society of the town.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
visitsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪts/
plural of “visit” — the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time
From this reading They both paid short visits to Shanghai, but could not long be spared from their branches.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was fond of reading, and preferred an evening with his books to social functions.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Burroughs did not care for what he called "racketing."
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
in the company of; together with
From this reading DIVIDED WAYS With the coming of winter the two Englishmen found fewer opportunities of employing their leisure time.
