To find the meaning of an unknown word you should look at the 'contextual clues' provided by the words that are around it.
To really know a word, you must be able to use it 'in context'. [=in a sentence with other words]
When taken 'out of context', his comments sound cruel, but he was really only joking.
(..) ...is to offer her a wedding ring. What, a father's not allowed to talk about his son? I'm a footnote in that story, Dad... ...the context for your great adventure, which never happened, incidentally. You were selling novelty products in Wichita when I was born. Come on, Will. (..)2003 Big Fish