used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
abolishverbUS /əˈbɑːlɪʃ/
do away with
From this reading Inclination to change, desire to abolish old usages.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
bishop'snounUS /ˈbɪʃəps/
possessive form of “bishop” — a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
canters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
caparisonedadjective
clothed in finery (especially a horse in ornamental trappings)
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Inclination to change, desire to abolish old usages.
complainverbUS /kəmˈpleɪn/
express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading Inclination to change, desire to abolish old usages.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Up! up! for shame!
GodivanounUS /ɡəˈdaɪvə/
according to legend she rode naked through Coventry in order to persuade her husband not to tax the townspeople so heavily
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
hard-breathing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
impiousadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpaɪəs/
lacking piety or reverence for a god
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
InclinationnounUS /ˌɪnkləˈneɪʃən/
an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
From this reading Inclination to change, desire to abolish old usages.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
Leofric
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
used to form the superlative
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
nagverbUS /næɡ/
bother persistently with trivial complaints
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
not any; not one
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Inclination to change, desire to abolish old usages.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
psalmnounUS /sɑːlm/
one of the 150 lyrical poems and prayers that comprise the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament; said to have been written by David
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
remitverbUS /riˈmɪt/
send (money) in payment
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
precisely, exactly
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
move upward
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading Up! up! for shame!
sinner's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
sleekadjectiveUS /sliːk/
well-groomed and neatly tailored; especially too well-groomed
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
steednounUS /stiːd/
(literary) a spirited horse for state of war
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
taxverbUS /tæks/
levy a tax on
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
tunenounUS /tuːn/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading _Leofric._ Turn round: look how the fat nag canters, as to the tune of a sinner's psalm, slow and hard-breathing.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Up! up! for shame!
usagesnounUS /ˈjuːsədʒəz/
plural of “usage” — the act of using
From this reading Inclination to change, desire to abolish old usages.
(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 What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading What reason or right can the people have to complain, while their bishop's steed is so sleek and well caparisoned?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _Godiva._ Never, no, never will I rise, O Leofric, until you remit this most impious task--this tax on hard labour, on hard life.
