adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
aimingverbUS /ˈeɪmɪŋ/
-ing form of “aim” — point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
ashoreadverbUS /əˈʃɔːr/
towards the shore from the water
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
attractedverbUS /əˈtræktɪd/
past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was stout, but he was not grotesque.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
complexionnounUS /kəmˈplekʃən/
the coloring of a person's face
From this reading His face was round and smooth, his complexion very fair.
costumenounUS /kɑːˈstuːm/
the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
drillverbUS /drɪl/
make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
EasternadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərn/
lying toward or situated in the east
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
edgenounUS /edʒ/
the boundary of a surface
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading His face was round and smooth, his complexion very fair.
fairadjectiveUS /fer/
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading His face was round and smooth, his complexion very fair.
figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
flannelnounUS /ˈflænəl/
a soft light woolen fabric; used for clothing
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
frontnounUS /frʌnt/
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
grotesqueadjectiveUS /ɡroʊˈtesk/
distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous
From this reading He was stout, but he was not grotesque.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had time to observe him.
hangingnounUS /ˈhæŋɪŋ/
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
HarbourverbUS /ˈhɑːrbər/
secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had time to observe him.
idlingnounUS /ˈaɪdəlɪŋ/
having no employment
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
landingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
movementnounUS /ˈmuːvmənt/
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was stout, but he was not grotesque.
noticeableadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəsəbəl/
capable or worthy of being noticed
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
obliquelyadverbUS /əˈbliːkli/
to, toward or at one side
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
observeverbUS /əbˈzɜːrv/
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading I had time to observe him.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
OfficenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
pavementnounUS /ˈpeɪvmənt/
the paved surface of a thoroughfare
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
portnounUS /pɔːrt/
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
roundnounUS /raʊnd/
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading His face was round and smooth, his complexion very fair.
sailorsnounUS /ˈseɪlərz/
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
smoothadjectiveUS /smuːð/
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading His face was round and smooth, his complexion very fair.
spacenounUS /speɪs/
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
steppedverbUS /stept/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
stepsnounUS /steps/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
stoutadjectiveUS /staʊt/
dependable
From this reading He was stout, but he was not grotesque.
suitsnounUS /suːts/
plural of “suit” — a set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I had time to observe him.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had time to observe him.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
tunicnounUS /ˈtuːnɪk/
an enveloping or covering membrane or layer of body tissue
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading His face was round and smooth, his complexion very fair.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
water'snounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/
possessive form of “water” — binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading He attracted my attention because in the movement of figures in white drill suits on the pavement from which he stepped, his costume, the usual tunic and trousers, being made of light grey flannel, made him noticeable.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading While we were hanging about near the water’s edge, as sailors idling ashore will do (it was in the open space before the Harbour Office of a great Eastern port), a man came towards us from the “front” of business houses, aiming obliquely at the landing steps.
