used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “An honorable race, indeed!
ancestrynounUS /ˈænsestri/
the descendants of one individual
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
bracingnounUS /ˈbreɪsɪŋ/
a structural member used to stiffen a framework
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Why, child, they are the descendants of a queen—a Scottish queen!
a female human offspring
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
descendantsnounUS /dɪˈsendənts/
all of the offspring of a given progenitor
From this reading Why, child, they are the descendants of a queen—a Scottish queen!
DouglasnounUS /ˈdʌɡləs/
United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
Douglases
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
honorableadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnərəbəl/
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “An honorable race, indeed!
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
Margaret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
Mehetabel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading Why, child, they are the descendants of a queen—a Scottish queen!
any competition
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
ScottishnounUS /ˈskɑːtɪʃ/
the dialect of English used in Scotland
From this reading Why, child, they are the descendants of a queen—a Scottish queen!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
a just detectable amount
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
TudornounUS /ˈtuːdər/
an English dynasty descended from Henry Tudor; Tudor monarchs ruled from Henry VII to Elizabeth I (from 1485 to 1603)
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
precisely as stated
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry.
which person or people
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, child, they are the descendants of a queen—a Scottish queen!
in the company of; together with
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
an affirmative
From this reading “Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a very honorable race.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself up, with a look of pride.
