used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BOYHOOD AND YOUTH.
appearancesnounUS /əˈpɪrənsəz/
plural of “appearance” — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
brought into existence
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
BOYHOODnounUS /ˈbɔɪhʊd/
the childhood of a boy
From this reading BOYHOOD AND YOUTH.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
consistingverbUS /kənˈsɪstɪŋ/
-ing form of “consist” — originate
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
debtsnounUS /dets/
plural of “debt” — the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
dintnounUS /dɪnt/
interchangeable with “means” in the expression “by means of”
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
economynounUS /ɪˈkɑːnəmi/
the system of production and distribution and consumption
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
EdwinnounUS /ˈedwən/
king of Northumbria who was converted to Christianity (585-633)
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
encumberedadjectiveUS /enˈkʌmbərd/
loaded to excess or impeded by a heavy load
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
enduredverbUS /enˈdjʊrd/
past form of “endure” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
entailedverbUS /ɪnˈteɪld/
past form of “entail” — have as a logical consequence
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
extremitiesnounUS /ekˈstremətiz/
plural of “extremity” — an external body part that projects from the body
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
an act that fails
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
a social unit living together
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
hardshipsnounUS /ˈhɑːrdʃɪps/
plural of “hardship” — a state of misfortune or affliction
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
industrynounUS /ˈɪndəstri/
the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
maintainverbUS /meɪnˈteɪn/
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
oppressedadjectiveUS /əˈprest/
burdened psychologically or mentally
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
practiseverbUS /ˈpræktɪs/
engage in a rehearsal
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
salarynounUS /ˈsæləri/
something that remunerates
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
servingnounUS /ˈsɜːrvɪŋ/
an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
tidinessnoun
the habit of being tidy
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
trialsnounUS /ˈtraɪəlz/
plural of “trial” — the act of testing something
From this reading For many years they endured the trials and hardships of poverty almost in its extremities.
precisely as stated
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The family, consisting then of the parents and five children, were forced to live in a very humble style, and to practise a stern economy.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
a late time of life
From this reading WHEN Edwin was born, his father, encumbered and oppressed by the debts which his failure some years before had entailed on him, was serving in a bank, at a small salary.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet, by dint of industry, character, and tidiness, they managed to maintain respectable appearances and a fair position.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading BOYHOOD AND YOUTH.
