used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
how long something has existed
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
commonplaceadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmənpleɪs/
completely ordinary and unremarkable
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
competitionnounUS /ˌkɑːmpəˈtɪʃən/
a business relation in which two parties compete to gain customers
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
conciliating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
cringingadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪndʒɪŋ/
totally submissive
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
customersnounUS /ˈkʌstəmərz/
plural of “customer” — someone who pays for goods or services
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
essentiallyadverbUS /eˈsenʃəli/
in essence; at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
at any time
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
featurenounUS /ˈfiːtʃər/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
gentleman'snounUS /ˈdʒentəlmʌnz/
possessive form of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading No great question had ever stirred him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
joined in matrimony
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
millionnounUS /ˈmɪljən/
the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
neutraladjectiveUS /ˈnuːtrəl/
having no personal preference
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
not any; not one
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
opinionsnounUS /əˈpɪnjənz/
plural of “opinion” — a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
outfitternounUS /ˈaʊtfɪtər/
someone who sells men's clothes
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
pliableadjectiveUS /ˈplaɪəbəl/
susceptible to being led or directed
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading No great question had ever stirred him.
on the contrary
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
routinenounUS /ruːˈtiːn/
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
Identical; not different.
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
soullessadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊlləs/
lacking sensitivity or the capacity for deep feeling
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
squeezedverbUS /skwiːzd/
past form of “squeeze” — to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading No great question had ever stirred him.
sunkadjectiveUS /sʌŋk/
doomed to extinction
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services
From this reading By trade he was a gentleman's outfitter in the New North Road, and the competition of business squeezed out of him the little character that was left.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
in the company of; together with
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading In his hope of conciliating customers he had become cringing and pliable, until working ever in the same routine from day to day he seemed to have sunk into a soulless machine rather than a man.
XInounUS /ʃiː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
From this reading XI THE CURSE OF EVE Robert Johnson was an essentially commonplace man, with no feature to distinguish him from a million others.
a late time of life
From this reading He was pale of face, ordinary in looks, neutral in opinions, thirty years of age, and a married man.
