used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
highly skilled
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
(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 And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
for the reason that
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
blacksnounUS /blæks/
plural of “black” — the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
common-sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
commonlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːmənli/
under normal conditions
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
congregationnounUS /ˌkɑːŋɡrəˈɡeɪʃən/
a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
dallying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
a person who is older than you are
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
eloquencenounUS /ˈel.ə.kwəns/
Fluent, persuasive, and graceful speaking or writing. (Sự hùng biện, tài ăn nói lưu loát.)
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
emancipationnounUS /ɪˌmænsəˈpeɪʃən/
freeing someone from the control of another; especially a parent's relinquishing authority and control over a minor child
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
to the same degree (often followed by “as”)
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
exhorter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
fervournoun
the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
franticadjectiveUS /ˈfræntɪk/
excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
hallooing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
hearersnounUS /ˈhiːrərz/
plural of “hearer” — someone who listens attentively
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
illustrationsnounUS /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/
plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
ministersnounUS /ˈmɪnəstərz/
plural of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
used to form the superlative
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
not any; not one
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
plantationnounUS /ˌplænˈteɪʃən/
an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
recentlyadverbUS /ˈriːsəntli/
in the recent past
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
cut with a saw
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
schoolsnounUS /skuːlz/
plural of “school” — an educational institution
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
sermonnounUS /ˈsɜːrmən/
an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
in the near future
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
symbolsnounUS /ˈsɪmbəlz/
plural of “symbol” — an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
throngnounUS /θrɔːŋ/
a large gathering of people
From this reading He spent no time in dallying about the edge of his subject, but plunged immediately into the middle of things, and soon had about him a shouting, hallooing throng of frantic people.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
trainedadjectiveUS /treɪnd/
shaped or conditioned or disciplined by training; often used as a combining form
From this reading The great change that gave to the blacks fairly trained ministers from the schools had not at this time succeeded their recently accomplished emancipation.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading He spoke to his hearers in the language that they understood, because he himself knew no other.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And the sermon of Elder Smith was full of all the fervour, common-sense, and rude eloquence of the old plantation exhorter.
(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 He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He drew his symbols and illustrations from the things which he saw most commonly about him,—things which he and his congregation understood equally well.
