Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

farther along in physical or mental development

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading C. T. D’EYNCOURT, M.P.

plural of “chronicle” — a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

past form of “contribute” — bestow a quality on

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

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

From this reading C. T. D’EYNCOURT, M.P.

dearly loved

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

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

From this reading DEDICATORY EPISTLE TO THE RIGHT HON.

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

pleasantly occupied

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

a specially long, formal letter

From this reading DEDICATORY EPISTLE TO THE RIGHT HON.

something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

well known or easily recognized

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

an established custom

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

of or relating to the study of history

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading DEDICATORY EPISTLE TO THE RIGHT HON.

favorable to life and growth

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

of great significance or value

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

the act of invading; the act of an army that invades for conquest or plunder

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

a room where books are kept

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

remain present although waning or gradually dying

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

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 The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading C. T. D’EYNCOURT, M.P.

plural of “material” — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

used to form the superlative

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

above and across; more than

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading C. T. D’EYNCOURT, M.P.

by chance

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

for the most part

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

possessing material wealth

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

precisely, exactly

From this reading DEDICATORY EPISTLE TO THE RIGHT HON.

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading C. T. D’EYNCOURT, M.P.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading DEDICATORY EPISTLE TO THE RIGHT HON.

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The idea of founding an historical romance on an event so important and so national as the Norman Invasion, I had long entertained, and the chronicles of that time had long been familiar to me.

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

From this reading DEDICATORY EPISTLE TO THE RIGHT HON.

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

a fact that has been verified

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

the local time at the 0 meridian passing through Greenwich, England; it is the same everywhere

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

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

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

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

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

in the company of; together with

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

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

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

a late time of life

From this reading But it is an old habit of mine, to linger over the plan and subject of a work, for years, perhaps, before the work has, in truth, advanced a sentence; “busying myself,” as old Burton saith, “with this playing labour--otiosaque diligentia ut vitarem torporen feriendi.”

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I dedicate to you, my dear friend, a work, principally composed under your hospitable roof; and to the materials of which your library, rich in the authorities I most needed, largely contributed.