used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
adagenounUS /ˈædədʒ/
a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
a proposal for an appropriate course of action
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
(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 He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He was not by any means a bad man.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading He was not by any means a bad man.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was not by any means a bad man.
a period of 100 years
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
Challoner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
characteristicsnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪks/
plural of “characteristic” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
give encouragement to
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
eighteenthadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the seventeenth in position
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
to the same degree (often followed by “as”)
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
exactedverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktɪd/
past form of “exact” — claim as due or just
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
Humphrey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
impecuniousadjective
not having enough money to pay for necessities
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
inordinateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnɔːrdənɪt/
beyond normal limits
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
justificationnounUS /ˌdʒʌstəfəˈkeɪʃən/
something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
leniencynounUS /ˈliːnjənsi/
mercifulness as a consequence of being lenient or tolerant
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
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 A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He was not by any means a bad man.
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 He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading He was not by any means a bad man.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
Mittachip's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
not one, and not any
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
outrageousadjectiveUS /aʊˈtreɪdʒəs/
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
perniciousadjectiveUS /pərˈnɪʃəs/
exceedingly harmful
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
poundverbUS /paʊnd/
hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
PROPOSALnounUS /prəˈpoʊzəl/
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
except for; apart from
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
term of address for a man
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
young nobleman attendant on a knight
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
carry out
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
tenantsnounUS /ˈtenənts/
plural of “tenant” — someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
THREATnounUS /θret/
something that is a source of danger
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading He twisted the old adage that "everything is fair in love" to a justification of his own evil purpose.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading He drank hard, and exacted his pound of flesh equally from all his tenants, but neither of these characteristics was unusual in an English squire of the early eighteenth century: a great many of them were impecunious, and all were fond of good cheer.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A PROPOSAL AND A THREAT Sir Humphrey Challoner had not been long in making up his mind to take Master Mittachip’s pernicious advice.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
vicesnounUS /ˈvaɪsəz/
plural of “vice” — moral weakness
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was not by any means a bad man.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Save for his somewhat inordinate love of money, he had none of the outrageous vices which were looked upon with leniency in the quality in those days.
