used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
abilitynounUS /əˈbɪlətiː/
the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
(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 There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
borderingverbUS /ˈbɔːrdərɪŋ/
-ing form of “border” — extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
brought into existence
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Certainly we of the operating department had warning enough.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
conclusionsnounUS /kənˈkluːʒənz/
plural of “conclusion” — a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
departmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/
a specialized division of a large organization
From this reading Certainly we of the operating department had warning enough.
developedadjectiveUS /dɪˈveləpt/
being changed over time so as to be e.g. stronger or more complete or more useful
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
engineersnounUS /ˈendʒəˈnɪrz/
plural of “engineer” — a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Certainly we of the operating department had warning enough.
extravagancenounUS /ekˈstrævəɡəns/
the quality of exceeding the appropriate limits of decorum or probability or truth
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
faultsnounUS /fɔːlts/
plural of “fault” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading Our engineers were good fellows.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
frictionnounUS /ˈfrɪkʃən/
a state of conflict between persons
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
the act of departing
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Our engineers were good fellows.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
headstrongadjectiveUS /ˈhedstrɔːŋ/
habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
and nothing more
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
liberalitynounUS /ˌlɪbɜːrˈælətiː/
an inclination to favor progress and individual freedom
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Certainly we of the operating department had warning enough.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
operatingadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəreɪtɪŋ/
involved in a kind of operation
From this reading Certainly we of the operating department had warning enough.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our engineers were good fellows.
prosperitynounUS /prɑːˈsperəti/
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
one of four equal parts
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
rashnessnoun
the trait of acting rashly and without prudence
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
rumorsnounUS /ˈruːmərz/
plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
self-confidencenounUS /ˌselfˈkɑːnfədəns/
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
sleepsnounUS /sliːps/
plural of “sleep” — a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
traitsnounUS /treɪts/
plural of “trait” — a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
wakingadjectiveUS /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/
Risen from sleep; conscious.
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
a message informing of danger
From this reading Certainly we of the operating department had warning enough.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading If they had faults, they were American faults--rashness, a liberality bordering on extravagance, and a headstrong, violent way of reaching conclusions--traits born of ability and self-confidence and developed by prosperity.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Certainly we of the operating department had warning enough.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading There had been rumors all winter that the engineers were going to strike.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet in the railroad life there is always friction in some quarter; the railroad man sleeps like the soldier, with an ear alert--but just the same he sleeps, for with waking comes duty.
