used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
abodes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
beginsnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnz/
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
brinknounUS /brɪŋk/
a region marking a boundary
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
go after with the intent to catch
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
departverbUS /dɪˈpɑːrt/
move away from a place into another direction
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
set up or found
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
characteristic of or befitting a friend
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
Hong-Kong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
owning or consisting of land or real estate
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
mainlyadverbUS /ˈmeɪnli/
for the most part
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
MarseillesnounUS /mɑːrˈsaɪləs/
a port city in southeastern France on the Mediterranean
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
mildewnounUS /ˈmɪlduː/
the process of becoming mildewed
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
mildewed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
not one, and not any
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
arrange in a container
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
PenangnounUS /ˈpenæŋ/
the second smallest Malaysian state; located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
rainsnounUS /reɪnz/
plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
roamingverbUS /ˈroʊmɪŋ/
-ing form of “roam” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
SettlementsnounUS /ˈsetəlmənts/
plural of “settlement” — a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
StraitsnounUS /streɪts/
a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading A touch of fever had caused a friendly doctor at Penang to pack him off to Europe by the first boat.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
WispnounUS /wɪsp/
a small tuft or lock
From this reading It had been a Will o’ the Wisp chase mainly in the rains, when the Straits Settlements are not abodes of delight.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He had spent the early summer roaming about the East looking, as he had looked at Hong-Kong, for work that might lead to fortune and finding none.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading WHEN Martin landed at Marseilles he found the world on the brink of war.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It is bad enough that your boots should be mildewed every morning; but when the mildew begins to attack your bones it is best to depart.
