used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
Alister
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
BRET
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BRET HARTE.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
Chinee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
despatched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
dykenounUS /daɪk/
(slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
start firing a weapon
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
fore-gathered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
HARTEnounUS /hɑːrt/
United States writer noted for his stories about life during the California gold rush (1836-1902)
From this reading BRET HARTE.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
heathennounUS /ˈhiːðən/
a person who does not acknowledge your god
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
oleanders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
select carefully from a group
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
pink-pale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
established beyond doubt
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
retrievingverbUS /riˈtriːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “retrieve” — get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
Scotchmannoun
a native or inhabitant of Scotland
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
in the near future
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Alister did more than pick pink-pale oleanders by the dyke side that morning.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
tricksnounUS /trɪks/
plural of “trick” — a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
tropicsnounUS /ˈtrɑːpɪks/
the part of the Earth's surface between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; characterized by a hot climate
From this reading He proved to be a Scotchman by birth, and a man of energy (not a common quality in the tropics), and he was already busy about retrieving his fortune.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
warehousenounUS /ˈwerhaʊs/
a storehouse for goods and merchandise
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
which person or people
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
belonging to which person
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Which is why I remark, And my language is plain, That for ways that are dark, And for tricks that are vain, The heathen Chinee is peculiar."
in the company of; together with
From this reading His business with the captain was soon despatched, and in the course of it he "fore-gathered," as he called it, with the man of business who had spoken to us on the night of the great fire, and whose own warehouse was in ruins.
