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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
affected
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From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
battered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
carry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
castaways
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
caught
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
common
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
concealed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
contemporaries
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From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
contentedly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
dry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
evernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Few such helping hands had ever been held out to him.
Felix
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From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
Few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Few such helping hands had ever been held out to him.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
forever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
future
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
gayly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
generally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
glimpse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Few such helping hands had ever been held out to him.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
held
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Few such helping hands had ever been held out to him.
helping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Few such helping hands had ever been held out to him.
hidden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
hoped-for
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
hulks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
incompetency
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
laugh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
living
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
lot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
merry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
motive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
mouth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
outlook
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
owed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
palm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
politeness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
possession
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
proffered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
propping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
reach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
reasoned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
relations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
return
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
sails
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
sands
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
scudding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
set
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
spirit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
stranded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
strangelynounUS /ˈstrangely/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
success
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When they had been, the proffered palm had generally concealed a hidden motive.
thrown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That these people had all been more than good to him, and that he owed them in return something more than common politeness now took possession of his mind.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
unappreciated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
weakened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The glimpse which Felix had caught of these two poor, unappreciated old men, living contentedly from hand to mouth, gayly propping each other up when one or the other weakened, had strangely affected him.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
why
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
wide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, as he reasoned, such battered hulks, stranded these many years on the dry sands of incompetency, with no outlook for themselves across the wide sea over which their contemporaries were scudding with all sails set before the wind of success--if these castaways, their past always with them and their hoped-for future forever out of their reach, could laugh and be merry, why should not he carry some of their spirit into his relations with the people among whom his lot was now thrown?
