used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
agitatedadjectiveUS /ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/
troubled emotionally and usually deeply
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
the two together, not just one
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
brigands
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
celebratedadjectiveUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
a young person of either sex
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
comelyadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmli/
according with custom or propriety
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
conductingnounUS /kənˈdʌktɪŋ/
the way of administering a business
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
consequencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/
plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
determine the number or amount of
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
a female human offspring
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/
being ten more than thirty
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
a young female
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
with gusto and without reservation
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
herdnounUS /hɜːrd/
a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
immediately past
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
matronnounUS /ˈmeɪtrən/
a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
mingleverbUS /ˈmɪŋɡəl/
to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
not any; not one
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
pillagedadjectiveUS /ˈpɪlɪdʒd/
wrongfully emptied or stripped of anything of value
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
pinionedadjective
(of birds) especially having the flight feathers
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
relentlessadjectiveUS /rɪˈlentlɪs/
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
ruthlesslyadverbUS /ˈruːθləsli/
in a ruthless manner
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
cut with a saw
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
ScroogenounUS /skruːdʒ/
a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
in the near future
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
sportsnounUS /spɔːrts/
plural of “sport” — an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
tumultuousadjectiveUS /ˌtuːˈmʌltʃuːəs/
characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count; and unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, there were not forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
uproariousadjective
uncontrollably noisy
From this reading The consequences were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly.
precisely as stated
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were in another scene and place; a room, not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Near to the winter fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed it was the same, until he saw _her_, now a comely matron, sitting opposite her daughter.
