used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
(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 The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading This is the first service in the beautiful new church.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
carolsnounUS /ˈkerəlz/
plural of “carol” — joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
chimesnounUS /tʃaɪmz/
plural of “chime” — a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading CHRISTMAS DAY.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading CHRISTMAS DAY.
dedicatedadjectiveUS /ˈdedəkeɪtəd/
devoted to a cause or ideal or purpose
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
energiesnounUS /ˈenərdʒiz/
plural of “energy” — (physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading This is the first service in the beautiful new church.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
something acquired without compensation
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IT is Christmas day.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading IT is Christmas day.
melodiesnounUS /ˈmelədiz/
plural of “melody” — a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
practiseverbUS /ˈpræktɪs/
engage in a rehearsal
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
publiclyadverbUS /ˈpʌblɪkli/
in a manner accessible to or observable by the public; openly
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
housing available for people to live in
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
SabbathnounUS /ˈsæbəθ/
a day of rest and worship: Sunday for most Christians; Saturday for the Jews and a few Christians; Friday for Muslims
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading This is the first service in the beautiful new church.
deliver by singing
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
spirenounUS /spaɪr/
a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
Sunday-school
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
teachersnounUS /ˈtiːtʃərz/
plural of “teacher” — a person whose occupation is teaching
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is the first service in the beautiful new church.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
belonging to which person
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The chimes in the spire of the new church are playing sweet melodies; and the Sunday-school children, whose gift the chimes have been, are gathering together from all quarters of the town to practise with their teachers the Christmas carols they are to sing.
workmennounUS /ˈwɜːrkmɪn/
plural of “workman” — an employee who performs manual or industrial labor
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol
From this reading It is to be publicly dedicated to the worship of God on the next Sabbath, but for weeks the workmen have put forth all their energies to have it ready for a service on Christmas day.
