used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
agroundadjectiveUS /əˈɡraʊnd/
stuck in a place where a ship can no longer float
From this reading "Did you run this boat aground on purpose?"
(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 "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
react verbally
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading "Did you run this boat aground on purpose?"
the lower side of anything
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
complacentadjectiveUS /kəmˈpleɪsənt/
contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
coollyadverbUS /ˈkuːli/
in a composed and unconcerned manner
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
dependsverbUS /dɪˈpendz/
third-person singular of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Did you run this boat aground on purpose?"
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
hipnounUS /hɪp/
either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
go away from a place
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
moonlitadjectiveUS /ˈmuːnlɪt/
lighted by moonlight
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
OrteganounUS /ɔːrˈteɪɡə/
Nicaraguan statesman (born in 1945)
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading "Did you run this boat aground on purpose?"
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
removingverbUS /riˈmuːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
revolvernounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvər/
a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading "Did you run this boat aground on purpose?"
only a very short time before
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
SenornounUS /ˌsiːˈnjɔːr/
a Spanish title or form of address for a man; similar to the English “Mr” or “sir”
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
slidenounUS /slaɪd/
a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Did you run this boat aground on purpose?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
tobacconounUS /təˈbækoʊ/
leaves of the tobacco plant dried and prepared for smoking or ingestion
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
unansweredadjectiveUS /ˌʌˈnænsərd/
not returned in kind
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "That depends upon the question, Senor; if I answer at all, it shall be truly, but I may choose to leave it unanswered."
whiffs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
wispnounUS /wɪsp/
a small tuft or lock
From this reading Captain Ortega took two or three complacent whiffs, gazed off over the moonlit river and then removing the wisp of tobacco from between his lips, smiled, and looking into the face before him, coolly replied:
in the company of; together with
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The American leaned on the bottom of the slide, with his face scarcely two feet from the other, and with the revolver at his hip within instant reach.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Captain Ortega, will you answer a question truly?"
