used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
(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 In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
appallingnounUS /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
an experience that appalls
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
calamitiesnounUS /kəˈlæmətiz/
plural of “calamity” — an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
chilledverbUS /tʃɪld/
past form of “chill” — depress or discourage
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
Clélie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
conciliateverb
cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
a state at a particular time
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
congratulateverbUS /kənˈɡrætʃəleɪt/
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
copiesnounUS /ˈkɑːpiz/
plural of “copy” — a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
copyistnoun
someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
discouragedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɜːrədʒd/
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
divisible by two
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
opinion or judgment
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
FrenchmannounUS /ˈfrentʃmæn/
a person of French nationality
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
gradesnounUS /ɡreɪdz/
plural of “grade” — a body of students who are taught together
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
imbecilesnounUS /ˈɪmbəsəlz/
plural of “imbecile” — a person of subnormal intelligence
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
influenzanounUS /ˌɪnfluːˈenzə/
an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
instructedverbUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd/
past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
languagesnounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒəz/
plural of “language” — a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
necessarilyadverbUS /ˌnesəˈserəli/
in an essential manner
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
pooreradjectiveUS /ˈpuːrər/
comparative of “poor” — deserving or inciting pity
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
pricesnounUS /ˈpraɪsəz/
plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
prosperousadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːspərəs/
in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
express in words
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
sellingnounUS /ˈselɪŋ/
the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/
inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
teachernounUS /ˈtiːtʃər/
a person whose occupation is teaching
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These were indeed calamities: to be poor, to teach, to live apart, not even knowing each other--and in England!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
torturedadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːrtʃərd/
experiencing intense pain especially mental pain
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/
to no avail
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading In our own eyes, it is true, we are not so poor--my Clélie and I. Looking back upon our past we congratulate ourselves upon our prosperous condition.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
at the time that
From this reading There was a time when we were poorer than we are now, and were not together, and were, moreover, in London instead of in Paris.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading To begin, I am a Frenchman, a teacher of languages, and a poor man,--necessarily a poor man, as the great world would say, or I should not be a teacher of languages, and my wife a copyist of great pictures, selling her copies at small prices.
a late time of life
From this reading In England we spent years; we instructed imbeciles of all grades; we were chilled by east winds, and tortured by influenza; we vainly strove to conciliate the appalling English; we were discouraged and desolate.
