used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
afternoonsnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/
plural of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The study was an unexciting and comparatively comfortable room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
BeechernounUS /ˈbiːtʃər/
United States clergyman who was a leader for the abolition of slavery (1813-1887)
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
CanonnounUS /ˈkænən/
a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field of art or philosophy
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
relating to or characteristic of Christianity
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
clothedadjectiveUS /kloʊðd/
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading The study was an unexciting and comparatively comfortable room.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading The study was an unexciting and comparatively comfortable room.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
divisible by two
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
exactingadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/
having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
to an extreme degree
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
facilitynounUS /fəˈsɪlɪti/
a building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/
bringing death
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
start firing a weapon
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
improvedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvd/
made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially made ready for use or marketing
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
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 In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
mistrustfuladjectiveUS /mɪˈstrʌstfəl/
openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
obtrudeverbUS /əbˈtruːd/
push to thrust outward
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
painfullyadverbUS /ˈpeɪnfəli/
unpleasantly
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
phrasesnounUS /ˈfreɪzəz/
plural of “phrase” — an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
a customary way of operation or behavior
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
preachernounUS /ˈpriːtʃər/
someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
preparationnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃən/
the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
privilegenounUS /ˈprɪvlədʒ/
a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The study was an unexciting and comparatively comfortable room.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
seasonsnounUS /ˈsiːzənz/
plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
sermonsnounUS /ˈsɜːrmənz/
plural of “sermon” — an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
a state of social isolation
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
required or under orders
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons Canon Beecher enjoyed the privilege of a fire in his study.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
unexcitingadjectiveUS /ənɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
not stimulating
From this reading The study was an unexciting and comparatively comfortable room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Old ideas are not improved by being clothed in new phrases, and of new ideas--a new idea will occasionally obtrude itself even on the Christian preacher--the Canon was exceedingly mistrustful.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He was supposed to be engaged at these seasons in the preparation of his sermons, a serious and exacting work which demanded solitude and profound quiet.
a late time of life
From this reading In earlier years he really had prepared his sermons painfully, but long practice brings to the preacher a certain fatal facility.
