AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
accidentsnounUS /ˈæksədənts/
plural of “accident” — an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
AMPHIBIOUSadjectiveUS /æmˈfɪbiəs/
relating to or characteristic of animals of the class Amphibia
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
ANdeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
ANIMALnounUS /ˈænəməl/
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
aptadjectiveUS /æpt/
(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
ashoreadverbUS /əˈʃɔːr/
towards the shore from the water
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
callingnounUS /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
castverbUS /kæst/
put or send forth
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
castlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/
a large and stately mansion
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
communicativeadjectiveUS /kəˈmjuːnəkətɪv/
of or relating to communication
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
CONSEQUENCESnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/
plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
contraryadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːntreri/
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
conversationnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
dealverbUS /diːl/
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
deepadjectiveUS /diːp/
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/
give expression to
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
favorverbUS /ˈfeɪvər/
promote over another
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
fellow-creatures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
flagnounUS /flæɡ/
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
frequentingverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntɪŋ/
-ing form of “frequent” — do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
grewverbUS /ɡruː/
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
interestsnounUS /ˈɪntrəsts/
plural of “interest” — a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
INTRODUCTIONnounUS /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/
the act of beginning something new
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
ITSdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
liveverbUS /laɪv/
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
marinernounUS /ˈmerənər/
a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
newadjectiveUS /nuː/
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
peculiaradjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
pithnounUS /pɪθ/
soft spongelike central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
portionnounUS /ˈpɔːrʃən/
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
quaintlyadverbUS /ˈkweɪntli/
in a strange but not unpleasant manner
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
soonadverbUS /suːn/
in the near future
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
SPECIALadjectiveUS /ˈspeʃəl/
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
stranger'snounUS /ˈstreɪndʒərz/
possessive form of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
toldverbUS /toʊld/
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I soon took an interest in my new acquaintance.
touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
TOUCHINGadjectiveUS /ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/
arousing affect
From this reading TOUCHING AN AMPHIBIOUS ANIMAL, A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The conversation, under such circumstances, did not flag; on the contrary, it soon grew more interesting by the stranger’s beginning to touch on his private interests.
understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was communicative, shrewd, and peculiar; and though apt to express himself quaintly, it was always with the pith of one who had seen a great deal of at least one portion of his fellow-creatures.
wordnounUS /wɜːrd/
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading He told me that he was a mariner who had been cast ashore by one of the accidents of his calling, and, by way of cutting in a word in his own favor, he gave me to understand that he had seen a great deal, more especially of that castle of his fellow-creatures who like himself live by frequenting the mighty deep.
