used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
AlfrednounUS /ˈælfrəd/
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
(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 lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
alludedverbUS /əˈluːdɪd/
past form of “allude” — make a more or less disguised reference to
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
attractionsnounUS /əˈtrækʃənz/
plural of “attraction” — the force by which one object attracts another
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
brought into existence
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
broken-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
capricesnounUS /kəˈpriːsəz/
plural of “caprice” — a sudden desire
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
CarolineadjectiveUS /ˈkerəlaɪn/
of or relating to the life and times of kings Charles I or Charles II of England
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
commentsnounUS /ˈkɑːments/
plural of “comment” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
compliancenounUS /kəmˈplaɪəns/
acting according to certain accepted standards
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
elopedverbUS /ɪˈloʊpd/
past form of “elope” — run away secretly with one's beloved
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
accept an excuse for
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
set up or found
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
heroinenounUS /ˈheroʊən/
the main good female character in a work of fiction
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
interferedverbUS /ˌɪntərˈfɪrd/
past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
immediately past
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
libertiesnounUS /ˈlɪbərtiːz/
plural of “liberty” — immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority: political independence
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/
plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
Palliser
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
pleadedverbUS /ˈpliːdɪd/
past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
preparationsnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
on the contrary
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
express the need or desire for
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
rivalverbUS /ˈraɪvəl/
be equal to in quality or ability
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
Identical; not different.
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
term of address for a man
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
of high or superior quality or performance
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
a shaky motion
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
unwarrantableadjective
incapable of being justified or explained
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
precisely as stated
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
waltznounUS /wɔːlts/
an assured victory (especially in an election)
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
at the time that
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
which person or people
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
Willoughby
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In vain had our heroine, when Sir Willoughby had asked her to waltz, pleaded the same excuse alluded to in our last chapter.
Willoughby's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Palliser, who was near, and heard Sir Willoughby's request, interfered, and commanded compliance; while poor Caroline, who seems to have been born but to be the victim of her mother's caprices, was led away to join the gay circle, trembling and broken-hearted.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The lady had the very day previous to that fixed for the wedding eloped with her former lover; while Sir Willoughby had found himself, his preparations being all made, in rather an absurd situation.
wittyadjectiveUS /ˈwɪti/
combining clever conception and facetious expression
From this reading The newspapers, too, had taken unwarrantable liberties with his name, and made some witty comments on the superior personal attractions of his rival.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading The report that Willoughby's marriage had been broken off was quite true: he had written the account to Alfred a day or two before.
