adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
accumulateverbUS /əˈkjuːmjəleɪt/
get or gather together
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
assurancenounUS /əˈʃʊrəns/
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
capitalnounUS /ˈkæpətəl/
assets available for use in the production of further assets
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
contentedadjectiveUS /kənˈtentəd/
satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And for what windfall could he look?
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
expedientadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspiːdiənt/
serving to promote your interest
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
grocernounUS /ˈɡroʊsər/
a retail merchant who sells foodstuffs (and some household supplies)
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
hopefuladjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpfəl/
having or manifesting hope
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
imaginationnounUS /ˌɪmædʒəˈneɪʃən/
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
immediateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːət/
of the present time and place
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
impossibilitynounUS /ˌɪmpɔːsɪˈbɪlɪti/
incapability of existing or occurring
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
lookverbUS /lʊk/
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading And for what windfall could he look?
meantverbUS /ment/
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
money-earning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
needsadverbUS /niːdz/
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Yet where was the way out?
pressverbUS /pres/
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
probabilitiesnounUS /ˌprɑːbəˈbɪlətiːz/
plural of “probability” — a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
problemnounUS /ˈprɑːbləm/
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
pursueverbUS /pərˈsuː/
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
reasonableadjectiveUS /ˈriːzənəbəl/
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
releaseverbUS /riˈliːs/
release, as from one's grip
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
restverbUS /rest/
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/
except for; apart from
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/
only a very short time before
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/
do one's shopping
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
sufficientadjectiveUS /səˈfɪʃənt/
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
tempernounUS /ˈtempər/
a sudden outburst of anger
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
temporaryadjectiveUS /ˈtempəreri/
not permanent; not lasting
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
troubledadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəld/
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
ultimateadjectiveUS /ˈʌltəmət/
furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
vagueadjectiveUS /veɪɡ/
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
Wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Yet where was the way out?
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading And for what windfall could he look?
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Yet where was the way out?
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
windfallnounUS /ˈwɪndfɔːl/
fruit that has fallen from the tree
From this reading And for what windfall could he look?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Of course he had meant nothing of the kind; his imagination had seen in the shop a temporary expedient; he had not troubled to pursue the ultimate probabilities of the life that lay before him, but contented himself with the vague assurance of his hopeful temper.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading To save money, to accumulate sufficient capital for his release, was an impossibility, at all events within any reasonable time.
worryverbUS /ˈwɜːri/
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading Was he to be a grocer for the rest of his life?--This question, which at first scarcely occurred to him, absorbed as he was in the problem of money-earning for immediate needs, at length began to press and worry.
YetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet where was the way out?
