Chapter IX

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

ruined by overcooking

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

plural of “chest” — the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Chinese descent

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

travel across or pass over

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

social or verbal interchange (usually followed by “with”)

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

plural of “dragon” — a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

make void or empty of contents

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

a movement into or inward

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

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

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

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

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

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

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

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

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

United States sculptor and architect whose public works include the memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War in Washington (born in 1959)

From this reading The name on the shop was Lin Soo.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

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

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

to certain extent or degree

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The name on the shop was Lin Soo.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The name on the shop was Lin Soo.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

coated with paint

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

past form of “prompt” — give an incentive for action

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

plural of “rogue” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

cut with a saw

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

in a peacefully serene manner

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

do one's shopping

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

-ing form of “slumber” — be asleep

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

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

From this reading The name on the shop was Lin Soo.

having a supporting base

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

a sculpture representing a human or animal

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

not in physical motion

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

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

From this reading Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

an open jar of glass or porcelain used as an ornament or to hold flowers

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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

From this reading The name on the shop was Lin Soo.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading He went out of the coffee house to look round, and saw the fat Chinaman still standing in his doorway like a statue, as though he had not moved since they saw him before entering the house.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.

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

From this reading He saw three tea chests, which he guessed were empty, a couple of Chinese bowls, a vase with strange hideous dragons painted or burnt on, an ivory-handled stick, a hat, a pile of chop-sticks, a bundle of red papers, and a cat slumbering serenely among the miscellaneous collection.

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 Probably this was the name of the man at the door; at any rate something prompted Bill to cross the road and look in at the shop window.

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE CHINAMAN'S SHOP Bill Bigs met a good many Chinamen, and had dealings with them, always finding them keen business fellows, moderately honest, though some were arrant rogues.