used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He always had been a factor in his political world.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He always had been a factor in his political world.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
brainsnounUS /breɪnz/
plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
ChangnounUS /tʃæŋ/
the longest river of Asia; flows eastward from Tibet into the East China Sea near Shanghai
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
CHINAnounUS /ˈtʃaɪnə/
a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
crumbleverbUS /ˈkrʌmbəl/
fall apart
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
dream-castles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
the male ruler of an empire
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
factornounUS /ˈfæktər/
anything that contributes causally to a result
From this reading He always had been a factor in his political world.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
ten 10s
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
impotentlyadverb
in a helpless manner
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
go away from a place
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
Li-Hung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
personalitynounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti/
the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
plottedadjectiveUS /ˈplɑːtɪd/
with planning and intention
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians
From this reading He always had been a factor in his political world.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
preparingverbUS /priˈperɪŋ/
-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
an executive officer of a firm or corporation
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
RepublicnounUS /riˈpʌblək/
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
Shi-kai
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
TURMOILnounUS /ˈtɜːrmɔɪl/
a violent disturbance
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Yuan was the strong man of his day, with more power, brains, and personality than any Chinese since Li-Hung Chang.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He always had been a factor in his political world.
a late time of life
From this reading For twenty years he had plotted for the throne; he had been emperor for one hundred miserable days; and now he was watching, impotently, his dream-castles crumble beneath his feet.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading CHINA IN TURMOIL During the time the Expedition was preparing to leave New York, China was in turmoil.
YuannounUS /juːˈɑːn/
the basic unit of money in China
From this reading Yuan Shi-kai was president of the Republic, but the hope of his heart was to be emperor of China.
