AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
attendingnounUS /əˈtendɪŋ/
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
audiencenounUS /ˈɑːdiəns/
a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
beginverbUS /bɪˈɡɪn/
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
blazingadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
bucketnounUS /ˈbʌkət/
a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the travellers came to see.
caboosenounUS /kəˈbuːs/
the area for food preparation on a ship
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But the travellers came to see.
cookverbUS /kʊk/
prepare a hot meal
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
cookingnounUS /ˈkʊkɪŋ/
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
drewnounUS /druː/
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
dustverbUS /dʌst/
remove the dust from
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
elsewhereadverbUS /ˈelswer/
in or to another place
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
findingnounUS /ˈfaɪndɪŋ/
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
forksnounUS /fɔːrks/
plural of “fork” — cutlery used for serving and eating food
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
fournounUS /fɔːr/
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
fringenounUS /frɪndʒ/
the outside boundary or surface of something
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
frying-pan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
hungryadjectiveUS /ˈhʌŋɡri/
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
knivesnounUS /naɪvz/
plural of “knife” — edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
lardverbUS /lɑːrd/
prepare or cook with lard
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
loneadjectiveUS /loʊn/
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
operationsnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃənz/
financial transactions at a brokerage; having to do with the execution of trades and keeping customer records
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
platesnounUS /pleɪts/
plural of “plate” — (baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
presentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/
in the near future
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
putverbUS /pʊt/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
sadadjectiveUS /sæd/
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/
only a very short time before
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading But the travellers came to see.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
silentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/
marked by absence of sound
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
sticksnounUS /stɪks/
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
tamelyadverb
in a tame manner
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
tinnounUS /tɪn/
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 A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
travellersnounUS /ˈtrævələrz/
plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location
From this reading But the travellers came to see.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
waifs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
wanderedverbUS /ˈwɑːndərd/
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Our little fire was built beside the caboose, so the cooking things might be easily reached and put back.
waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/
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 A few sticks blazing tamely in the dust, a frying-pan, half a tin bucket of lard, some water, and barren plates and knives and forks, and three silent men attending to them--that was all.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading These waifs drew near us, and stood, a sad, lone, shifting fringe of audience; four to begin with; and then two wandered away; and presently one of these came back, finding it worse elsewhere.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
YoupronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You would scarcely think such operations held any interest, even for the hungry, when there seemed to be nothing to cook.
