Chapter XX

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading Within it lay a small portmanteau, evidence of a very modest fortune.

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading Within it lay a small portmanteau, evidence of a very modest fortune.

smeared with oil or grease to reduce friction

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

plural of “incident” — a single distinct event

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Within it lay a small portmanteau, evidence of a very modest fortune.

immediately past

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Within it lay a small portmanteau, evidence of a very modest fortune.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

not one and not the other of two

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

not any; not one

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another)

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

approval to do something

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

one of the common people

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings

From this reading Within it lay a small portmanteau, evidence of a very modest fortune.

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

the person in charge of a post office

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

a woman postmaster

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

inflected form of “refer” — make reference to

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

make a logical or causal connection

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

past form of “resign” — leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

an established line of travel or access

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

express in words

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Within it lay a small portmanteau, evidence of a very modest fortune.

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

a person who changes location

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

precisely as stated

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

From this reading His _britchka_[1] stood in the courtyard, waiting for the wheels to be greased.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading The traveller ordered neither tea nor coffee, but sat looking out of the window and whistling, to the great annoyance of the postmistress sitting behind the partition.

in the company of; together with

From this reading At the station of ----, at the house of the postmaster, of whom we have already spoken, sat a traveller in a corner, looking very modest and resigned, and having the appearance of a plebeian or a foreigner, that is to say, of a man having no voice in connection with the post route.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Within it lay a small portmanteau, evidence of a very modest fortune.

but in spite of that

From this reading We will now ask the permission of the reader to explain the last incidents of our story, by referring to the circumstances that preceded them, and which we have not yet had time to relate.