Chapter I · Looking for Work

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

how long something has existed

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

relating to or befitting athletics or athletes

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

a youthful male person

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

an assertion of a right (as to money or property)

From this reading His claim to good looks was indisputable.

of or relating to the first significant period of a civilization, culture, area of study, etc.

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

clothing in general

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

plural of “curl” — a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

plural of “curve” — the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

the organ of sight

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

a person who fells trees

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

a man of refinement

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

of or relating to or characteristic of Greece or the Greeks or the Greek language

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

not open to question; obviously true

From this reading His claim to good looks was indisputable.

a boy or man

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

the line that appears to bound an object

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

above and across; more than

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

let for money

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

the display of a motion picture

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

(of meat) full of sinews; especially impossible to chew

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

being one more than fifteen

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “Got any opening in these diggin’s for a feller of my size and good looks?”

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading His claim to good looks was indisputable.

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

a subdivision of a particular kind of thing

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

showing signs of much wear or use

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.

during the time that

From this reading A bright black eye gave character to a face of classical outline, straggling curls of dark hair hanging low over his olive-hued cheeks and brow, while his nose and mouth had all the fine curves of the Grecian type.

a late time of life

From this reading The speaker was a boy of some sixteen years of age, a well-built, athletic lad, the sinewy development of his limbs showing through more than one rent in his well-worn clothes.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “What do you want?” asked the gentleman addressed, in a curt tone.