used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
aversionnounUS /əˈvɜːrʒən/
a feeling of intense dislike
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
clipnounUS /klɪp/
a metal frame or container holding cartridges; can be inserted into an automatic gun
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
crueltynounUS /ˈkruːlti/
a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
Doogan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
at any time
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
opinion or judgment
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
ferrety
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
foulest-mouthed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Worm was the foulest-mouthed specimen I have yet met.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The Worm was the foulest-mouthed specimen I have yet met.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
liveliestadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪvliːəst/
superlative of “lively” — full of life and energy
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
lowestadjectiveUS /ˈloʊəst/
lowest in rank or importance
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading The Worm was the foulest-mouthed specimen I have yet met.
mud-rat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
PatverbUS /pæt/
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
reddishadjectiveUS /ˈredɪʃ/
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
specimennounUS /ˈspesəmən/
an example regarded as typical of its class
From this reading The Worm was the foulest-mouthed specimen I have yet met.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
toughadjectiveUS /tʌf/
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
a Caucasian
From this reading He had the lowest forehead I have ever seen in a white man, and such a sharp, ferrety little face.
which person or people
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
windlassnounUS /ˈwɪndləs/
lifting device consisting of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank on which a cable or rope winds
From this reading Turning the windlass over the shaft was a little, tough mud-rat, who excited in me the liveliest sense of aversion.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His reddish hair had the prison clip, and his little reddish eyes were alive with craft and cruelty.
WormnounUS /wɜːrm/
any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading Pat Doogan was his name, but I will call him the "Worm."
but in spite of that
From this reading The Worm was the foulest-mouthed specimen I have yet met.
