used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
matters of personal concern
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
in addition
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
move towards
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
bankruptcynounUS /ˈbæŋkrəpsi/
a state of complete lack of some abstract property
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/
happiness felt in a secure relationship
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
Bramber
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walter Bramber left Coombe Cellars greatly discouraged.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
CellarsnounUS /ˈselərz/
plural of “cellar” — the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading Walter Bramber left Coombe Cellars greatly discouraged.
churchwardennoun
an officer in the Episcopal church who helps a parish priest with secular matters
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
committeenounUS /kəˈmɪti/
a special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
complexionnounUS /kəmˈplekʃən/
the coloring of a person's face
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
Coombe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walter Bramber left Coombe Cellars greatly discouraged.
cordialadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrdʒəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading Here also his reception was not cordial.
discouragedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɜːrədʒd/
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading Walter Bramber left Coombe Cellars greatly discouraged.
discoveringverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ/
-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
disputingverbUS /dɪsˈpjuːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “dispute” — take exception to
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading Walter Bramber left Coombe Cellars greatly discouraged.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here also his reception was not cordial.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
indicatedverbUS /ˈɪndəkeɪtəd/
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Walter Bramber left Coombe Cellars greatly discouraged.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
magnatesnounUS /ˈmæɡneɪts/
plural of “magnate” — a very wealthy or powerful businessman
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
mainlyadverbUS /ˈmeɪnli/
for the most part
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
managementnounUS /ˈmænədʒmənt/
the act of managing something
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Here also his reception was not cordial.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
Pasco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
Pepperill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
plumesnounUS /pluːmz/
plural of “plume” — anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading Here also his reception was not cordial.
ruffledadjectiveUS /ˈrʌfəld/
shaken into waves or undulations as by wind
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
an educational institution
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
do one's shopping
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
trusteenounUS /ˌtrʌˈstiː/
a person (or institution) to whom legal title to property is entrusted to use for another's benefit
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
unintentionallyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪnˈtenʃənəli/
without intention; in an unintentional manner
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading Walter Bramber left Coombe Cellars greatly discouraged.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And Pasco Pepperill was one of the magnates of the village, and full of consciousness that he was a great man.
WaterloonounUS /ˈwɔːtərluː/
a town in central Belgium where in 1815 Napoleon met his final defeat
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
Whiteaway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
which person or people
From this reading Bramber walked to the little village shop belonging to Whiteaway, the second churchwarden, who was also on the committee of management, and trustee for the school under the National Society.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading He had unintentionally ruffled the plumes of the churchwarden by disputing his knowledge of the situation of Waterloo, and mainly by discovering that his affairs were in something worse than confusion, that they wore a complexion which indicated the approach of bankruptcy.
