used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
adoptedadjectiveUS /əˈdɑːptɪd/
acquired as your own by free choice
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
how long something has existed
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
athletesnounUS /ˈæθliːts/
plural of “athlete” — a person trained to compete in sports
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
a youthful male person
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
causingnounUS /ˈkɑːzɪŋ/
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
crisisnounUS /ˈkraɪsəs/
an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
destinynounUS /ˈdestəni/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
dintnounUS /dɪnt/
interchangeable with “means” in the expression “by means of”
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
divisible by two
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
featnounUS /fiːt/
a notable achievement
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
fulfilledadjectiveUS /fʊlˈfɪld/
completed to perfection
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
brought together in one place
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
a quick look
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
increasingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/
becoming greater or larger
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
market-places
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
posturenounUS /ˈpɑːstʃər/
the arrangement of the body and its limbs
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
pushingnounUS /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
rapiditynounUS /rəˈpɪdəti/
a rate that is rapid
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
rigidadjectiveUS /ˈrɪdʒəd/
incapable of or resistant to bending
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
having a supporting base
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/
having only essential or minimal features
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
a special situation
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
migratory
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
at the time that
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was wandering about one of the market-places when he caught his first glimpse of the thing which brought the great crisis in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
wintersnounUS /ˈwɪntərz/
plural of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading So two winters passed and the boy grew.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A crowd had gathered in one corner, and was increasing with such rapidity that it was impossible even to guess what they were looking at.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
wrigglingadjective
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading By dint of wriggling and pushing, he finally managed to work his way through and see what was causing the excitement.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading In a small open space, a youth of about his age and size, stripped to the waist, was standing in the rigid posture adopted by native athletes before they do some feat of skill.
