used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading His flying boat was the fastest craft on the river.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
BurroughsnounUS /ˈbʌroʊz/
United States writer noted for his works portraying the life of drug addicts (1914-1997)
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
without doubt or question
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading His flying boat was the fastest craft on the river.
crooknounUS /krʊk/
someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
devoteverbUS /dɪˈvoʊt/
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
Errington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
fastestadverbUS /ˈfæstəst/
most quickly
From this reading His flying boat was the fastest craft on the river.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
moving swiftly
From this reading His flying boat was the fastest craft on the river.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
hookverbUS /hʊk/
fasten with a hook
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a feeling of righteous anger
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
go away from a place
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
Meichow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
MOUSTACHEnounUS /ˈmʌstæʃ/
an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His flying boat was the fastest craft on the river.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
in the near future
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
Reinhardt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading His flying boat was the fastest craft on the river.
except for; apart from
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
solutionnounUS /səˈluːʃən/
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading The solution came to him presently in a flash: he must save Errington himself.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
not in physical motion
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
not known
From this reading He could not leave his friend to an unknown fate; something must be done; he alone could do it.
unsolvedadjectiveUS /ənˈsɑːlvd/
not solved
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE PRICE OF A MOUSTACHE A man in a rage cannot think clearly; and Burroughs was in such a heat of indignation with Reinhardt that it was some time before he was able to devote himself calmly to the still unsolved problem.
yamen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He must fly up to Meichow, get Errington out of the yamen by hook or crook, and bring him back.
