1879
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
attendverbUS /əˈtend/
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
beardnounUS /bɪrd/
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
BOOKSnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading THE MAKER OF MANY BOOKS.
brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/
of surpassing excellence
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
broad-shoulderedadjective
having broad shoulders
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
countenancenounUS /ˈkaʊntənəns/
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
discernibleadjectiveUS /dɪˈsɜːrnəbəl/
perceptible by the senses or intellect
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
eminentadjectiveUS /ˈemənənt/
standing above others in quality or position
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
furynounUS /ˈfjʊri/
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
genialadjectiveUS /ˈdʒiːnjəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
gold-rimmed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
hairnounUS /her/
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
heightnounUS /haɪt/
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
interlocutornounUS /ˌɪntərˈlɑːkjətər/
the performer in the middle of a minstrel line who engages the others in talk
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
lessadverbUS /les/
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
MAKERnounUS /ˈmeɪkər/
a person who makes things
From this reading THE MAKER OF MANY BOOKS.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
MANYadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading THE MAKER OF MANY BOOKS.
meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
MostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
noticeableadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəsəbəl/
capable or worthy of being noticed
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MAKER OF MANY BOOKS.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
personages
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
publishernounUS /ˈpʌblɪʃər/
a firm in the publishing business
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
renownedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnaʊnd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
ruddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
sidesnounUS /saɪdz/
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
snow-whiteadjective
of the white color of snow
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
socialadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊʃəl/
relating to human society and its members
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
spectaclesnounUS /ˈspektəkəlz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
sturdyadjectiveUS /ˈstɜːrdi/
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
talkverbUS /tɔːk/
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
tempestuousadjectiveUS /ˌtemˈpestʃuːəs/
characterized by violent emotions or behavior
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MAKER OF MANY BOOKS.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
tobacco-smoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading During the winter of 1879, when I was in London, it was my fortune to attend, a social meeting of literary men at the rooms of a certain eminent publisher.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Most noticeable among these personages was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man, of middle height, with a ruddy countenance, and snow-white tempestuous beard and hair.
woreverbUS /wɔːr/
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading He wore large, gold-rimmed spectacles, but his eyes were black and brilliant, and looked at his interlocutor with a certain genial fury of inspection.
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The rooms were full of tobacco-smoke and talk, amid which were discernible, on all sides, the figures and faces of men more or less renowned in the world of books.
