Chapter III · A Feast After a Famine

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

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

later than; following

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

(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 Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

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

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

separated or at a distance in place or position or time

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

the lower side of anything

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

a youthful male person

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

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

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

plural of “demand” — an urgent or peremptory request

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

fully ripe; at the height of bloom

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

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

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

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

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

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

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

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

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

possessive form of “jimmy” — a short crowbar

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

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

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

be obedient to

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

(baseball) the person who does the pitching

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

past form of “snatch” — to grasp hastily or eagerly

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

plural of “sob” — a dyspneic condition

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

past form of “sprinkle” — distribute loosely

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

move an implement through

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

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

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

push forcefully

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

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

From this reading John Smith had done his best to obey these confused demands.

a heavy rain

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

past form of “trickle” — run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream

From this reading Some drops trickled through the teeth that had fallen slightly apart, and, after a little, the boy began to stir.

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 brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

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

From this reading So he put down the pitcher, and brought a little tin measure half-full of brandy, from some secret corner back in the store, which his better half snatched from him and held to those pale lips.

during the time that

From this reading He brought water, and held it in a stone pitcher, while Mrs. Smith thrust her hand to the bottom and sprinkled little Jimmy’s face; but this failed to bring a sign of life back.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Then the good woman burst into tears that came in a torrent, deluging all the full-blown roses in her cheeks, and shaking her bosom with sobs.