used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
ABOUTprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "No; who is he?" his companion answered.
ascetic-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
ashnounUS /æʃ/
the residue that remains when something is burned
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading "No; who is he?" his companion answered.
DEBTnounUS /det/
the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
flickingverbUS /ˈflɪkɪŋ/
-ing form of “flick” — flash intermittently
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
Gouldesbrough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's Sir William Gouldesbrough."
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "No; who is he?" his companion answered.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "No; who is he?" his companion answered.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
JohnnynounUS /ˈdʒɑːni/
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading "Oh, the great scientific Johnny, you mean."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
loungeverbUS /laʊndʒ/
sit or recline comfortably
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
luxuriousadjectiveUS /ləɡˈʒɜːriəs/
displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "Oh, the great scientific Johnny, you mean."
not any; not one
From this reading "No; who is he?" his companion answered.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, the great scientific Johnny, you mean."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
PAYSnounUS /peɪz/
plural of “pay” — something that remunerates
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
cut with a saw
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
scientificadjectiveUS /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk/
of or relating to the practice of science
From this reading "Oh, the great scientific Johnny, you mean."
term of address for a man
From this reading "That's Sir William Gouldesbrough."
be seated
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
smoking-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
That's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's Sir William Gouldesbrough."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
precisely as stated
From this reading A MAN ABOUT TOWN PAYS A DEBT The people in the luxurious smoking-room of the great Palace Hotel saw a pale, ascetic-looking and very distinguished man come in to the comfortable place and sit down upon a lounge.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
which person or people
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's Sir William Gouldesbrough."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you know who that is?" one man whispered to another, flicking the ash off a cigar.
