adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
attendverbUS /əˈtend/
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
awardnounUS /əˈwɔːrd/
a grant made by a law court
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
capacitynounUS /kəˈpæsəti/
capability to perform or produce
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
court-martialnounUS /ˈkɔːrtmɑːrʃəl/
a military court to try members of the armed services who are accused of serious breaches of martial law
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
customnounUS /ˈkʌstəm/
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
deathnounUS /deθ/
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
deliberationnounUS /dɪˌlɪbərˈeɪʃən/
(usually plural) discussion of all sides of a question
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
doubleverbUS /ˈdʌbəl/
increase twofold
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
factsnounUS /fækts/
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
formalitynounUS /fɔːrˈmæləti/
a requirement of etiquette or custom
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
frightenverbUS /ˈfraɪtən/
cause fear in
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/
death of a person
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
guiltnounUS /ɡɪlt/
the state of having committed an offense
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
innocencenounUS /ˈɪnəsəns/
the quality of innocent naivete
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
involvingverbUS /ˌɪnˈvɑːlvɪŋ/
-ing form of “involve” — connect closely and often incriminatingly
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
judgesnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/
a book of the Old Testament that tells the history of Israel under the leaders known as judges
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
jurorsnounUS /ˈdʒʊrərz/
plural of “juror” — someone who serves (or waits to be called to serve) on a jury
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
keepverbUS /kiːp/
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
lawnounUS /lɔː/
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
makesnounUS /meɪks/
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
matternounUS /ˈmætər/
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
membersnounUS /ˈmembərz/
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 members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
perchnounUS /pɜːrtʃ/
support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
preynounUS /preɪ/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
punishmentnounUS /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/
the act of punishing
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
scare-crow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
sessionnounUS /ˈseʃən/
a meeting for execution of a group's functions
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
SettingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
SHAKESPEAREnounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading --SHAKESPEARE.
shapenounUS /ʃeɪp/
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
sitverbUS /sɪt/
be seated
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
solemnadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləm/
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/
required or under orders
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
terrornounUS /ˈterər/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VERDICT.
TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The members of a court-martial sit in the double capacity of jurors and judges; as jurors they find the facts, and as judges they award the punishment.
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
uninitiatedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪˈnɪʃieɪtɪd/
not initiated; deficient in relevant experience
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
VERDICTnounUS /ˈvɜːrdɪkt/
(law) the findings of a jury on issues of fact submitted to it for decision; can be used in formulating a judgment
From this reading THE VERDICT.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We must not make a scare-crow of the law, Setting it up to frighten birds of prey; And let it keep one shape till custom makes it, Their perch and not their terror.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
YetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet their session with closed doors was without the solemn formality that the uninitiated might have supposed to attend a grave deliberation upon a matter of guilt or innocence involving a question of life or death.
