used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
in actual fact
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
aggressiveadjectiveUS /əˈɡresɪv/
having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
apostatised
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
Broyle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
CatholicadjectiveUS /ˈkæθlɪk/
of or relating to or supporting Catholicism
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
CatholicsnounUS /ˈkæθlɪks/
plural of “catholic” — a member of a Catholic church
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
Chichester
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
consciencesnounUS /ˈkɑːntʃɪnsɪz/
plural of “conscience” — motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
conversionnounUS /kənˈvɜːrʒən/
an event that results in a transformation
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
travel across or pass over
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
the act of departing
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
discouragingadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɜːrədʒɪŋ/
depriving of confidence or hope or enthusiasm and hence often deterring action
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
in or to another place
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
enactedverbUS /eˈnæktəd/
past form of “enact” — order by virtue of superior authority; decree
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
enforcedadjectiveUS /enˈfɔːrst/
forced or compelled or put in force
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
fortunesnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/
plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
usually; as a rule
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
happilyadverbUS /ˈhæpəli/
in a joyous manner
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
HeathnounUS /hiːθ/
a low evergreen shrub of the family Ericaceae; has small bell-shaped pink or purple flowers
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
information about recent and important events
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
Paul'snounUS /pɔːlz/
possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
penaltiesnounUS /ˈpenəltiz/
plural of “penalty” — the act of punishing
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
persecutorsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsəkjuːtərz/
plural of “persecutor” — someone who torments
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
a customary way of operation or behavior
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
priestsnounUS /priːsts/
plural of “priest” — a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
prosperitynounUS /prɑːˈsperəti/
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
ProtestantsnounUS /ˈprɑːtəstənts/
plural of “protestant” — an adherent of Protestantism
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
recantations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
scaffoldnounUS /ˈskæfəld/
a platform from which criminals are executed (hanged or beheaded)
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
sinceritynounUS /sɪnˈserəti/
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
Stanfield
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
testifyverbUS /ˈtestəfaɪ/
give testimony in a court of law
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Most discouraging news indeed did reach them from time to time.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
vigournoun
forceful exertion
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
(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 Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A DEPARTURE The months went by happily at Stanfield; and, however ill went the fortunes of the Church elsewhere, here at least were peace and prosperity.
which person or people
From this reading Those Catholics too who threw up the Faith generally became the most aggressive among the persecutors, to testify to their own consciences, as well to the Protestants, of the sincerity of their conversion.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The severe penalties now enacted against the practice of the Catholic Religion were being enforced with great vigour, and the weak members of the body began to fail.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading Two priests had apostatised at Chichester earlier in the year, one of them actually at the scaffold on Broyle Heath; and then in December there were two more recantations at Paul's Cross.
