used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
ach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
bamboula
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
the two together, not just one
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
buttverbUS /bʌt/
lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
drownedverbUS /draʊnd/
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
elbowsnounUS /ˈelboʊz/
plural of “elbow” — hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
fascinatingadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
hissverbUS /hɪs/
make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
irritatingadjectiveUS /ˈɪrəteɪtɪŋ/
causing irritation or annoyance
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Smell it!” said Leyden.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading That bamboula, with its tom-tom-tom!
immediately past
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
LeydennounUS /ˈlaɪdən/
a city in the western Netherlands; residence of the Pilgrim Fathers for 11 years before they sailed for America in 1620
From this reading “Smell it!” said Leyden.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
maddens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
nuisancenounUS /ˈnuːsəns/
(law) a broad legal concept including anything that disturbs the reasonable use of your property or endangers life and health or is offensive
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
quaintadjectiveUS /kweɪnt/
strange in an interesting or pleasing way
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Smell it!” said Leyden.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading “Smell it!” said Leyden.
spitefuladjectiveUS /ˈspaɪtfəl/
showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
stephanotisnoun
any of various evergreen climbing shrubs of the genus Stephanotis having fragrant waxy flowers
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That bamboula, with its tom-tom-tom!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading First it is quaint, then it is a nuisance, then irritating, then fascinating, and last of all it maddens.
tom-tom-tom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That bamboula, with its tom-tom-tom!
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “The ‘bamboula’—the smell of the trees and the stephanotis—_ach_, how it seems as if it were last night!
in or at the place that
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He leaned both elbows on the rail and dropped the butt of his cigar into the black water, where it drowned with a spiteful little hiss.
