used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
adaptableadjectiveUS /əˈdæptəbəl/
capable of adapting (of becoming or being made suitable) to a particular situation or use
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
the two together, not just one
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
broodverbUS /bruːd/
think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
cornetnounUS /kɔːrˈnet/
a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone; has a narrow tube and a flared bell and is played by means of valves
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
dilapidatedadjectiveUS /dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd/
in deplorable condition
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
fadingnounUS /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
an act that fails
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
plural of “family” — a social unit living together
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
a social unit living together
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
frequentverbUS /ˈfriːkwənt/
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
not in action or at work
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
immediately past
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
manor-houses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
nobilitynounUS /noʊˈbɪləti/
a privileged class holding hereditary titles
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
on one occasion
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
out-of-the-wayadjective
exceptional, unusual, or remarkable
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
the local environment
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
peacefullyadverbUS /ˈpiːsfəli/
in a peaceful manner
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
pushingnounUS /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
RussianounUS /ˈrʌʃə/
a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
serfdomnoun
the state of a serf
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
sheeradjectiveUS /ʃɪr/
complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
showernounUS /ˈʃaʊər/
a plumbing fixture that sprays water over you
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
streamingadjectiveUS /ˈstriːmɪŋ/
exuding a bodily fluid in profuse amounts
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/
in a way that was not expected
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
uninfluentialadjective
not influential
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
unprotectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnprəˈtektɪd/
lacking protection or defense
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
weighedverbUS /weɪd/
past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight
From this reading There are families that are weighed down by an inevitable fate.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Sometimes it happens that a shower of good luck, as it were, suddenly comes streaming down on such a family.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)
From this reading They are frequent among that portion of the nobility which once lived idle, useless, and uninfluential, under the wing of serfdom in all parts of Russia and is now passing its last days helpless and unprotected in dilapidated manor-houses.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading In the life of these wretched families both success and failure come unexpectedly and as if by sheer accident.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The ruined cornet and his wife, peacefully fading away in an out-of-the-way village, will suddenly be blessed with a brood of young people, strong, clean, alert, pushing, adaptable to the new conditions of life--the boys as well as the girls--in a word, "knowing ones."
