adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
AmazonnounUS /ˈæməzɑːn/
a large strong and aggressive woman
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
arrangementnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒmənt/
the thing arranged or agreed to
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
boardingnounUS /ˈbɔːrdɪŋ/
the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
bootsnounUS /buːts/
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
daintinessnoun
the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
everyonepronounUS /ˈevriwʌn/
every person
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
evidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
extravagancenounUS /ekˈstrævəɡəns/
the quality of exceeding the appropriate limits of decorum or probability or truth
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
fastidiousadjectiveUS /fæˈstɪdiəs/
giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
friendlyadjectiveUS /ˈfrendli/
characteristic of or befitting a friend
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
GadflynounUS /ˈɡædflaɪ/
a persistently annoying person
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
Galli
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading On the whole they got on very well with him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading On the whole they got on very well with him.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
hospitableadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːˈspɪtəbəl/
favorable to life and growth
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
livedverbUS /lɪvd/
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
localadjectiveUS /ˈloʊkəl/
relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
lodgingsnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz/
temporary living quarters
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
luxuriousnessnoun
wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
Mazzinian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
membersnounUS /ˈmembərz/
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the whole they got on very well with him.
outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/
an organization to gain political power
From this reading He was hospitable and friendly to everyone, especially to the local members of the Mazzinian party.
Riccardo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/
relating to or characteristic of people of Rome
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
rowsnounUS /roʊz/
plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/
to a small degree or extent
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
spotlessadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːtləs/
completely neat and clean
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
sybaritenoun
a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
tastesnounUS /teɪsts/
plural of “taste” — the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
tendencynounUS /ˈtendənsi/
an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
tiesnounUS /taɪz/
plural of “tie” — neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
triflesnounUS /ˈtraɪfəlz/
plural of “trifle” — a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading He was evidently somewhat of a sybarite; and, though nothing in the rooms showed any serious extravagance, there was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading On the whole they got on very well with him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
welladverbUS /wel/
(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 On the whole they got on very well with him.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading On the whole they got on very well with him.
wildernesses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading On the whole they got on very well with him.
wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/
the act of creating written works
From this reading They had expected to find a man who had lived among the wildernesses of the Amazon more simple in his tastes, and wondered at his spotless ties and rows of boots, and at the masses of flowers which always stood upon his writing table.
Zita
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Gadfly took lodgings outside the Roman gate, near to which Zita was boarding.
