used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
aimsnounUS /eɪmz/
plural of “aim” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
any thing at all
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
appealedverbUS /əˈpiːld/
past form of “appeal” — take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
betake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
civilisationnoun
the social process whereby societies achieve an advanced stage of development and organization
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
claynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
cucumbersnounUS /ˈkjuːkəmbərz/
plural of “cucumber” — a melon vine of the genus Cucumis; cultivated from earliest times for its cylindrical green fruit
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
decivilise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
EgyptiannounUS /ɪˈdʒɪpʃən/
a native or inhabitant of Egypt
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
ElizabethannounUS /ˌelɪzəˈbiːθən/
a person who lived during the reign of Elizabeth I
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
engrossedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈɡroʊst/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
enterprisenounUS /ˈentərpraɪz/
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
divisible by two
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
exploitverbUS /ˈeksplɔɪt/
use or manipulate to one's advantage
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
exploreverbUS /ɪkˈsplɔːr/
inquire into
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
fannedadjectiveUS /fænd/
especially spread in a fan shape
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
start firing a weapon
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
flesh-pots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
garlicnounUS /ˈɡɑːrlɪk/
bulbous herb of southern Europe widely naturalized; bulb breaks up into separate strong-flavored cloves
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
insistentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstəntli/
in an insistent manner
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
Jim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
Leah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
leeksnounUS /liːks/
plural of “leek” — plant having a large slender white bulb and flat overlapping dark green leaves; used in cooking; believed derived from the wild Allium ampeloprasum
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
luggagenounUS /ˈlʌɡədʒ/
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
lurkverbUS /lɜːrk/
lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
meaneradjectiveUS /ˈmiːnər/
comparative of “mean” — approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
melonsnounUS /ˈmelənz/
plural of “melon” — any of numerous fruits of the gourd family having a hard rind and sweet juicy flesh
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
meltingnounUS /ˈmeltɪŋ/
the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
not any; not one
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
having or expressing strong emotions
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
Promethean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
resemblingverbUS /rɪˈzembəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
roamingverbUS /ˈroʊmɪŋ/
-ing form of “roam” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
sparknounUS /spɑːrk/
a momentary flash of light
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Leah made no farther attempt to decivilise Jim.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
unfencedadjectiveUS /ənˈfenst/
not enclosed by a fence
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
UnfortunatelyadverbUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by bad luck
From this reading Unfortunately, it could not be fanned into anything resembling a flame.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was too engrossed in Egyptian flesh-pots to set out for the Promised Land of splendid adventure and Elizabethan enterprise.
wastesnounUS /weɪsts/
plural of “waste” — any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading In his clay there did lurk a spark of that Promethean fire which, melting meaner aims into one passionate purpose to explore the world and exploit the world, has made England great.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the garlic of civilisation appealed to him insistently, and even if he did betake himself to roaming unfenced wastes, he certainly would not number a wife amongst his luggage.
