Sentence:  It was a word he was proud of , a word that meant much to him , and he used it with great pleasure , <WSD>almost</WSD> as if it were an exclusive possession , and more : he sensed himself to be very highly educated , four cuts above any of the folks back home . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but