adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/
a positive feeling of liking
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
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 “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
AnythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
bequeathverbUS /bɪˈkwiːθ/
leave or give by will after one's death
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/
the two together, not just one
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
casesnounUS /ˈkeɪsəz/
plural of “case” — an occurrence of something
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
centred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/
dearly loved
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
disposeverbUS /dɪˈspoʊz/
give, sell, or transfer to another
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
disputedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈpjuːtəd/
subject to disagreement and debate
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
draftedverbUS /ˈdræftɪd/
past form of “draft” — draw up an outline or sketch for something
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
drawbacknounUS /ˈdrɔːbæk/
the quality of being a hindrance
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
eccentricitiesnounUS /ˌeksenˈtrɪsɪtiz/
plural of “eccentricity” — strange and unconventional behavior
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
estatenounUS /ɪˈsteɪt/
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading The tears overflowed Schmucke’s eyes.
facultiesnounUS /ˈfækəltiz/
plural of “faculty” — one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
freeverbUS /friː/
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
friendnounUS /frend/
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
hereadverbUS /hiːr/
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
justicenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/
the quality of being just or fair
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
lawnounUS /lɔː/
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
leavesnounUS /liːvz/
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
liableadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪəbəl/
at risk of or subject to experiencing something usually unpleasant
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
matternounUS /ˈmætər/
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/
not one and not the other of two
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
nonepronounUS /nʌn/
not one, and not any
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
notarynounUS /ˈnoʊtəri/
someone legally empowered to witness signatures and certify a document's validity and to take depositions
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
overflowedverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈfloʊd/
past form of “overflow” — flow or run over (a limit or brim)
From this reading The tears overflowed Schmucke’s eyes.
personaltynoun
movable property (as distinguished from real estate)
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
pleaseverbUS /pliːz/
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
PonsnounUS /pɑːnz/
United States coloratura soprano (born in France) (1904-1976)
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
possessionnounUS /pəˈzeʃən/
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
queriedverbUS /ˈkwɪrid/
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
realadjectiveUS /riːl/
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
relativesnounUS /ˈrelətɪvz/
plural of “relative” — a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
Schmucke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
Schmucke's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tears overflowed Schmucke’s eyes.
sirnounUS /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
swearverbUS /swer/
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
tearsnounUS /terz/
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading The tears overflowed Schmucke’s eyes.
testatornoun
a person who makes a will
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
testator's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Anything is liable to be disputed, sir,” said the notary; “that is the drawback of human justice.
unlawfuladjectiveUS /ənˈlɔːfəl/
not conforming to legality, moral law, or social convention
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
upsetverbUS /əpˈset/
disturb the balance or stability of
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
willsnounUS /wɪlz/
plural of “will” — the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
From this reading But in the matter of wills, there are wills so drafted that they cannot be upset--” “In what way?” queried Pons.
witnessesnounUS /ˈwɪtnəsəz/
plural of “witness” — someone who sees an event and reports what happened
From this reading “If a will is made in the presence of a notary, and before witnesses who can swear that the testator was in the full possession of his faculties; and if the testator has neither wife nor children, nor father nor mother--” “I have none of these; all my affection is centred upon my dear friend Schmucke here.”
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Then, if you have none but distant relatives, the law leaves you free to dispose of both personalty and real estate as you please, so long as you bequeath them for no unlawful purpose; for you must have come across cases of wills disputed on account of the testator’s eccentricities.
