Chapter VII · Chapter 7

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

-ing form of “abolish” — do away with

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a defendant in a criminal proceeding

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

-ing form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Romance!" ejaculated Annie.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a city in northern Texas between Dallas and Fort Worth

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

someone injured or killed or captured or missing in a military engagement

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

marked for certain death

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Romance!" ejaculated Annie.

having come or been brought to a conclusion

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

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 It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

plural of “entail” — land received by fee tail

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

the state or fact of existing

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

offering fun and gaiety

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

plural of “find” — a productive insight

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

death of a person

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

the aggregate of past events

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

give free rein to

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

the act of beginning something new

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

feeling or showing love and affection

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

a form of address for a man

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

and nothing more

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a person who owns something

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

a member of the Republican Party

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

the term during which some position is held

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The entertainment of the evening gave its character to our conversation on the following morning.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

not expected or anticipated

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

belonging to which person

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading It was a conversation too grave for introduction into a work intended only to aid in the entertainment of festive hours: it commenced with the English "poor-laws," and ended with a discussion of the tenure of property in that land, and the wisdom of our own republican fathers in abolishing entails--a subject affording a fair opportunity to us Americans, to indulge a little in that self-glorification which we are accused of loving so well.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "What a curious book would a 'History of Entails' be!" exclaimed Mr. Arlington, "how full of the romance of life!"

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, romance; for under this system, the poor man, whose life seemed doomed to one unbroken struggle with fortune, for the necessaries of existence, finds himself, by some unexpected casualty, the possessor of rank, and of what seems to him boundless wealth."