adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/
in the past
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
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 He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
amongstprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋst/
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading And, amongst other things, “surely you remember old Nelson,” he wrote.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
belovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/
dearly loved
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
chattyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃæti/
full of trivial conversation
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
chumsnounUS /tʃʌmz/
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
domesticadjectiveUS /dəˈmestɪk/
of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
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 was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
EasternadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərn/
lying toward or situated in the east
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
fatenounUS /feɪt/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
fellow-wanderers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
getverbUS /ɡet/
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
glancesnounUS /ˈɡlænsɪz/
plural of “glance” — a quick look
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
godsnounUS /ɡɑːdz/
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
habitsnounUS /ˈhæbəts/
plural of “habit” — an established custom
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
imaginedverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒənd/
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
knockedverbUS /nɑːkt/
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
letternounUS /ˈletər/
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
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 ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
middle-agedadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
NelsonnounUS /ˈnelsən/
English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)
From this reading And, amongst other things, “surely you remember old Nelson,” he wrote.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
ONEpronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading And, amongst other things, “surely you remember old Nelson,” he wrote.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
overtakenverbUS /ˈoʊvərteɪkən/
inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
portlyadjectiveUS /ˈpɔːrtli/
euphemisms for “fat”
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/
To recall to mind.
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
reminiscentadjectiveUS /ˌreməˈnɪsənt/
serving to bring to mind
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
speciallyadverbUS /ˈspeʃəli/
in a special manner
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
surelyadverbUS /ˈʃʊrli/
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading And, amongst other things, “surely you remember old Nelson,” he wrote.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading And, amongst other things, “surely you remember old Nelson,” he wrote.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading He was still out there, but settled down, and middle-aged; I imagined him—grown portly in figure and domestic in his habits; in short, overtaken by the fate common to all except to those who, being specially beloved by the gods, get knocked on the head early.
wistfuladjectiveUS /ˈwɪstfəl/
showing pensive sadness
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
wroteverbUS /roʊt/
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading And, amongst other things, “surely you remember old Nelson,” he wrote.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading ONE day—and that day was many years ago now—I received a long, chatty letter from one of my old chums and fellow-wanderers in Eastern waters.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The letter was of the reminiscent “do you remember” kind—a wistful letter of backward glances.
