used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Mexican Wake.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
bawlingnoun
loud cries made while weeping
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
bottlesnounUS /ˈbɑːtəlz/
plural of “bottle” — a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
cadaverousadjective
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
chattingverbUS /ˈtʃætɪŋ/
inflected form of “chat” — talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
Chinguirito
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
cigarsnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːrz/
plural of “cigar” — a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
cupsnounUS /kʌps/
plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
dankadjectiveUS /dæŋk/
unpleasantly cool and humid
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
flasksnounUS /flæsks/
plural of “flask” — bottle that has a narrow neck
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
fumesnounUS /fjuːmz/
gases ejected from an engine as waste products
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
gesticulatingadjective
making gestures while speaking
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
only a very short time before
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
loadedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊdɪd/
filled with a great quantity
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
lowestadjectiveUS /ˈloʊəst/
lowest in rank or importance
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
the force of workers available
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
MexicannounUS /ˈmeksəkən/
a native or inhabitant of Mexico
From this reading A Mexican Wake.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
Perico
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
pervadedverbUS /pərˈveɪdɪd/
past form of “pervade” — spread or diffuse through
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
provisionsnounUS /prəˈvɪʒənz/
a stock or supply of foods
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
unusual or striking
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
smotheredadjectiveUS /ˈsmʌðərd/
held in check with difficulty
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
precisely as stated
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading A Mexican Wake.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The company to which Perico had introduced me presented a very singular appearance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In a corner of the room stood a table loaded with provisions of every sort, with cups, bottles, and flasks.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading About twenty men and women of the lowest class were seated in a circle, chatting, bawling, and gesticulating.
Xeres
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A dank, cadaverous smell pervaded the apartment, which was hardly smothered by the smoke of cigars, and the fumes of Xeres and _Chinguirito_.
