used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A MAN-OF-WAR LIBRARY.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
antidotes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
ashoreadverbUS /əˈʃɔːr/
towards the shore from the water
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
corporals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
custodynounUS /ˈkʌstədi/
a state of being confined (usually for a short time)
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
dried-upadjective
(used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
ennuinounUS /eˈnuːi/
the feeling of being bored by something tedious
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
harbourverbUS /ˈhɑːrbər/
secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
to a considerable degree
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
intrusted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
and nothing more
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
the literary culture
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
a room where books are kept
From this reading A MAN-OF-WAR LIBRARY.
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
MAN-OF-WARnoun
a warship intended for combat
From this reading A MAN-OF-WAR LIBRARY.
marineadjectiveUS /mərˈiːn/
of or relating to the sea
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
men-of-war's-men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
NowherenounUS /ˈnoʊwer/
an insignificant place
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
on one occasion
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
go across or through
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
post-office
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
RionounUS /ˈriːoʊ/
the former capital and 2nd largest city of Brazil; chief Brazilian port; famous as a tourist attraction
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading There was a public library on board, paid for by government, and intrusted to the custody of one of the marine corporals, a little, dried-up man, of a somewhat literary turn.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One of my principal antidotes against _ennui_ in Rio, was reading.
at the time that
From this reading He had once been a clerk in a post-office ashore; and, having been long accustomed to hand over letters when called for, he was now just the man to hand over books.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Nowhere does time pass more heavily than with most men-of-war’s-men on board their craft in harbour.
