used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
anew
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
BayardnounUS /ˈbeɪərd/
French soldier said to be fearless and chivalrous (1473-1524)
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
blocknounUS /blɑːk/
a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
brutishadjectiveUS /ˈbruːtɪʃ/
resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
ceaseverbUS /siːs/
put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
commonlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːmənli/
under normal conditions
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
carefully weighed
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
without stop or interruption
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
cultivatedadjectiveUS /ˈkʌltəveɪtɪd/
(of land or fields) prepared for raising crops by plowing or fertilizing
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
diligentlyadverbUS /ˈdɪlədʒəntli/
with diligence; in a diligent manner
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
doggedadjectiveUS /dɔːɡd/
stubbornly unyielding
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
expressiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspresɪv/
characterized by expression
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
functionsnounUS /ˈfʌŋkʃənz/
plural of “function” — (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function)
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
a person of German nationality
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
not admitting of penetration or passage into or through
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
jailernounUS /ˈdʒeɪlər/
someone who guards prisoners
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
languishverbUS /ˈlæŋɡwɪʃ/
lose vigor, health, or flesh, as through grief
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
malperformance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
manlyadjectiveUS /ˈmænli/
possessing qualities befitting a man
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
a particular point in time
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
MortonnounUS /ˈmɔːrtən/
United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
neglectverbUS /nəˈɡlekt/
leave undone or leave out
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
not any; not one
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
peasantnounUS /ˈpezənt/
a country person
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
puddingnounUS /ˈpʊdɪŋ/
any of various soft thick unsweetened baked dishes
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
RuledadjectiveUS /ruːld/
subject to a ruling authority
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
statedadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtɪd/
declared as fact; explicitly stated
From this reading One day the jailer came in at his stated hour.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
sullenlyadverb
in a sullen manner
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
TaylornounUS /ˈteɪlər/
United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The manly heart must sometimes cease to languish, Ruled by the manly brain.--_Bayard Taylor_.
in the direction of
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
upbraidedverbUS /əpˈbreɪdɪd/
past form of “upbraid” — express criticism towards
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading On this occasion he was more than commonly dogged and impenetrable; and, on being taken to task for some neglect or malperformance of his functions, he made no manner of reply, by word, look, or gesture.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Being again upbraided, he turned for a moment towards the prisoner a face as expressive as a block of pudding stone, and then sullenly continued his work as before.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading He was, by birth, a German peasant, stupid and brutish enough; but, his calling considered, he might have been worse, and, in the lack of better company, Morton had diligently cultivated his acquaintance.
