used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
binnounUS /bɪn/
a container; usually has a lid
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
confined by bonds
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
budgeverbUS /bʌdʒ/
move very slightly
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it would not come.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
cellarnounUS /ˈselər/
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
coalnounUS /koʊl/
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But it would not come.
cordnounUS /kɔːrd/
a line made of twisted fibers or threads
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
someone who is a detective
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
disusedadjective
no longer in use
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
gagverbUS /ɡæɡ/
prevent from speaking out
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it would not come.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
something that is lost
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
mustyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌsti/
covered with or smelling of mold
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/
plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But it would not come.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
rascalsnounUS /ˈræskəlz/
plural of “rascal” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
a strong line
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
tenementnounUS /ˈtenəmənt/
a run-down apartment house barely meeting minimal standards
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A LOSS OF IMPORTANCE Half stunned Dick lay for a long time on the newspapers and musty straw in the disused coal bin of the tenement cellar.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
toughadjectiveUS /tʌf/
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "This is what I call tough luck," he muttered to himself, and tried to force the somewhat loose gag from his mouth.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
which person or people
From this reading But the rascals who had placed him in the cellar had done their work well, and the cord refused to budge.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading As soon as he felt strong enough he began to work on the rope which bound his hands together.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But it would not come.
