used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
bankruptedverbUS /ˈbæŋkrəptɪd/
past form of “bankrupt” — reduce to bankruptcy
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
bestedverbUS /ˈbestɪd/
past form of “best” — get the better of
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
Brentham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Didn’t Brentham know?
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
ChinanounUS /ˈtʃaɪnə/
a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
coolienoun
(ethnic slur) an offensive name for an unskilled Asian laborer
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
coolies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
approval
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
crofters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
Didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Didn’t Brentham know?
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
set up or found
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
the act of giving
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
grocernounUS /ˈɡroʊsər/
a retail merchant who sells foodstuffs (and some household supplies)
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Didn’t Brentham know?
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
navynounUS /ˈneɪvi/
an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
opiumnounUS /ˈoʊpiəm/
an addictive narcotic extracted from seed capsules of the opium poppy
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
probableadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːbəbəl/
likely but not certain to be or become true or real
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
promptedverbUS /ˈprɑːmptɪd/
past form of “prompt” — give an incentive for action
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
ScotchnounUS /skɑːtʃ/
a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
smuggledadjectiveUS /ˈsmʌɡəld/
distributed or sold illicitly
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
steamersnounUS /ˈstiːmərz/
plural of “steamer” — a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
trafficnounUS /ˈtræfɪk/
the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming and going in a particular locality during a specified period of time
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
trampnounUS /træmp/
a vagrant
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Who was Wully?
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
which person or people
From this reading "Who was Wully?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, he had begun life as a small grocer in some Scotch town, and bankrupted through giving credit to the crofters.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Friends said out of tea, enemies out of opium, smuggled into India; probable cause, the great coolie traffic between China and the rest of the world, which prompted him to found a navy of tramp steamers to carry the coolies, many of them over to Africa.
Wully
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Who was Wully?
a late time of life
From this reading Not to be bested by Fate, he went out to China as a clerk and in twenty years had made quite a respectable fortune.
