used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
accordedverbUS /əˈkɔːrdɪd/
past form of “accord” — go together
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
allusionsnounUS /əˈluːʒənz/
plural of “allusion” — passing reference or indirect mention
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
rid of obstructions
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
convincingadjectiveUS /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
causing one to believe the truth of something
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
disagreeableadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈɡriːəbəl/
not to your liking
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
discussionnounUS /dɪˈskʌʃən/
an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
errornounUS /ˈerər/
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
LambnounUS /læm/
young sheep
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
luciditynounUS /luːˈsɪdɪti/
free from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
and nothing more
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
arrange in a container
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
persuadeverbUS /pərˈsweɪd/
win approval or support for
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
established beyond doubt
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
one of four equal parts
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
resortnounUS /rɪˈzɔːrt/
a hotel located in a resort area
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
SituatedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪtʃuːeɪtɪd/
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
in the near future
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
to a sufficient degree
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading In a tongue fight the man proved to be her match; he could pack at least as many disagreeable allusions into a sentence as she could.
treatmentnounUS /ˈtriːtmənt/
care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury)
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
ultimatumnounUS /ˌʌltəˈmeɪtəm/
a final peremptory demand
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
VerbaladjectiveUS /ˈvɜːrbəl/
communicated in the form of words
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Situated as they were it was not easy to see how they could resort to that method of convincing him of the error of his ways.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mrs. Lamb told him, with the lucidity of which under such circumstances she was past mistress, what she thought of him, and what treatment she would have accorded him if the conditions had only been a little different.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading AT THE GATE Verbal discussion was plainly useless; it was soon made sufficiently clear that nothing short of physical force would persuade that driver.
wrangledverbUS /ˈræŋɡəld/
past form of “wrangle” — to quarrel noisily, angrily or disruptively
From this reading For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour they wrangled, then the driver delivered himself of an ultimatum.
