used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
Chamberlain'snounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbərlənz/
possessive form of “chamberlain” — British statesman who as Prime Minister pursued a policy of appeasement toward fascist Germany (1869-1940)
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
effectiveadjectiveUS /ɪˈfektɪv/
producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
divisible by two
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
mettlenounUS /ˈmetəl/
the courage to carry on
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
OxfordnounUS /ˈɑːksfərd/
a city in southern England to the northwest of London; site of Oxford University
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
performancenounUS /pərˈfɔːrməns/
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
unusual or striking
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
not often
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
sinceritynounUS /sɪnˈserəti/
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The remarkable success of their first performance in the famous city of Oxford had pleased them greatly.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They had been put upon their mettle by their cold reception at the hands of town and gown.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Long before the play was at an end, a triumph was assured.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE Lord Chamberlain’s servants were in the highest spirits.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Seldom had they acted even one of their most effective plays with such force and sincerity.
