1851
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
in the past
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
Alta
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
CalifornianounUS /ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə/
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
CapenounUS /keɪp/
a strip of land projecting into a body of water
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
Consignors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
gotten under control
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
elapseverbUS /ɪˈlæps/
pass by
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
Francisco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
furiouslyadverbUS /ˈfjʊriəsli/
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
plural of “good” — benefit
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
a message received and understood
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
inquiriesnounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/
plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
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 Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
mailnounUS /meɪl/
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
miningnounUS /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/
the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
on one occasion
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
San
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
StaplenounUS /ˈsteɪpəl/
(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
stocksnounUS /stɑːks/
a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
stowedverbUS /stoʊd/
past form of “stow” — fill by packing tightly
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
suppliesnounUS /səˈplaɪz/
plural of “supply” — an amount of something available for use
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
telegraphnounUS /ˈteləɡræf/
apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
unorganizedadjectiveUS /əˈnɔːrɡənaɪzd/
not having or belonging to a structured whole
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
ValparaisonounUS /ˌvælpərˈeɪsoʊ/
the chief port and second largest city of Chile; located on a wide harbor in central Chile
From this reading A merchant at Valparaiso once paid twenty thousand dollars for the information contained in a single letter from San Francisco.
an act of traveling by water
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
whirlverbUS /wɜːrl/
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Consignors in the East were almost wholly ignorant as to what people needed in California, and how goods should be stowed for the long voyage around the Cape.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
wild-cat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staple goods went furiously up and down in price like wild-cat mining stocks.
a late time of life
From this reading OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS "Two years ago," said the "Alta California" in 1851, "trade was a wild unorganized whirl."
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading There was no telegraph by which supplies could be ordered from the East or inquiries could be answered, and several months must elapse before an order sent by mail to New York could be filled.
