adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
accumulationnounUS /əˌkjuːmjəˈleɪʃən/
an increase by natural growth or addition
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
Barbour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading Peter, at the news, knew that now his battle never could be won.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Peter, at the news, knew that now his battle never could be won.
billsnounUS /bɪlz/
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
bodiesnounUS /ˈbɑːdiz/
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
bricknounUS /brɪk/
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
CardsnounUS /kɑːrdz/
a game played with playing cards
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
Dawson'snounUS /ˈdɔːsənz/
possessive form of “dawson” — a town in northwestern Canada in the Yukon on the Yukon River; a boom town around 1900 when gold was discovered in the Klondike
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
depressingadjectiveUS /dɪˈpresɪŋ/
causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
disastrousadjectiveUS /dɪˈzæstrəs/
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
evadingverbUS /ɪˈveɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “evade” — avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
excuseverbUS /ɪksˈkjuːs/
accept an excuse for
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading No tears were shed for Dawson's.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
harmnounUS /hɑːrm/
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
holidaysnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
HousenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
knewverbUS /nuː/
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 Peter, at the news, knew that now his battle never could be won.
letternounUS /ˈletər/
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
LIFEnounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
mortarnounUS /ˈmɔːrtər/
a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
newsnounUS /nuːz/
information about recent and important events
From this reading Peter, at the news, knew that now his battle never could be won.
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading No tears were shed for Dawson's.
non-payment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Peter, at the news, knew that now his battle never could be won.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
overdueadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərˈduː/
past due; not paid at the scheduled time
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/
owed as a debt
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
parentsnounUS /ˈperənts/
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
PeternounUS /ˈpiːtər/
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
piecesnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
PRIDEnounUS /praɪd/
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
ratenounUS /reɪt/
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
runverbUS /rʌn/
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
sawverbUS /sɔː/
cut with a saw
From this reading PRIDE OF LIFE I Peter never saw Dawson's again.
schoolnounUS /skuːl/
an educational institution
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
shedverbUS /ʃed/
get rid of
From this reading No tears were shed for Dawson's.
simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/
and nothing more
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
soulsnounUS /soʊlz/
plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
statingverbUS /ˈsteɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “state” — express in words
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
tearsnounUS /terz/
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading No tears were shed for Dawson's.
terselyadverbUS /ˈtɜːrsli/
in a short and concise manner
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
unavoidableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbəl/
impossible to avoid or evade
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/
plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
weeksnounUS /wiːks/
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading No tears were shed for Dawson's.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When the summer holidays had run some three weeks a letter arrived stating, quite simply and tersely that, owing to the non-payment by evading parents of bills long overdue and to many other depressing and unavoidable circumstances Mr. Barbour and that House of Cards, his school, had fallen to pieces.
wonnounUS /wʌn/
the basic unit of money in South Korea
From this reading Peter, at the news, knew that now his battle never could be won.
wroughtadjectiveUS /rɔːt/
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
From this reading There at any rate was an end to that disastrous accumulation of brick and mortar, and the harm that, living, it had wrought upon the souls and bodies of its victims its dying could not excuse.
