1773
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
1781
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
1817
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
1837
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Harvard, where he was a graduate in 1837, he was able but unconventional.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading At Harvard, where he was a graduate in 1837, he was able but unconventional.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At Harvard, where he was a graduate in 1837, he was able but unconventional.
averageadjectiveUS /ˈævərɪdʒ/
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
brought into existence
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
a youthful male person
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
ConcordnounUS /ˈkɑːnkɔːrd/
capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
ConnecticutnounUS /kəˈnetəkət/
a New England state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
placed crosswise
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
a social unit living together
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
fondnessnounUS /ˈfɑːndnəs/
a predisposition to like something
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
FrenchmannounUS /ˈfrentʃmæn/
a person of French nationality
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
fun-loving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
graduateverbUS /ˈɡrædʒəwət/
receive an academic degree upon completion of one's studies
From this reading At Harvard, where he was a graduate in 1837, he was able but unconventional.
the father of your father or mother
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
HarvardnounUS /ˈhɑːrvərd/
a university in Massachusetts
From this reading At Harvard, where he was a graduate in 1837, he was able but unconventional.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
joined in matrimony
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
MassachusettsnounUS /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsəts/
a state in New England; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
normaladjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrməl/
conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
out-of-dooradjective
located, suited for, or taking place in the open air
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
ScotchnounUS /skɑːtʃ/
a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
settlementnounUS /ˈsetəlmənt/
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
THOREAUnounUS /θərˈoʊ/
United States writer and social critic (1817-1862)
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
traitsnounUS /treɪts/
plural of “trait” — a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
From this reading His mother came from a Connecticut family of much earlier settlement in America, but his more striking traits seem to have passed to him from the father's side.
unconventionaladjectiveUS /ˌʌnkənˈvenʃənəl/
not conforming to accepted rules or standards
From this reading At Harvard, where he was a graduate in 1837, he was able but unconventional.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HENRY DAVID THOREAU Henry D. Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817.
in or at the place that
From this reading At Harvard, where he was a graduate in 1837, he was able but unconventional.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was a normal, out-of-door, fun-loving boy, though with more than average fondness for books.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading His grandfather, John Thoreau, a Frenchman, had crossed to America in 1773 and had married a woman of Scotch birth in 1781.
