1479
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
altarnounUS /ˈɔːltər/
the table in Christian churches where communion is given
From this reading The lights on each altar and all the candelabra in the choir were burning.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
archbishopnounUS /ˈɑːrtʃˈbɪʃəp/
a bishop of highest rank
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
beginsnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnz/
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
benedictionnounUS /ˌbenəˈdɪkʃən/
the act of praying for divine protection
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
Bourdeilles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/
the act of burning something
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
candelabranounUS /ˌkændəˈlɑːbrə/
branched candlestick; ornamental; has several lights
From this reading The lights on each altar and all the candelabra in the choir were burning.
candle-trays
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
cathedralnounUS /kəˈθiːdrəl/
any large and important church
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
choirnounUS /ˈkwaɪər/
a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony
From this reading The lights on each altar and all the candelabra in the choir were burning.
churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
denounUS /diː/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
deepestadjectiveUS /ˈdiːpəst/
superlative of “deep” — relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
destinedadjectiveUS /ˈdestɪnd/
headed or intending to head in a certain direction; often used as a combining form as in “college-bound students”
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The lights on each altar and all the candelabra in the choir were burning.
endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
faithfuladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪθfəl/
steadfast in affection or allegiance
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
goodlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡʊdli/
large in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
Helie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/
the aggregate of past events
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
honornounUS /ˈɑːnər/
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
lightsnounUS /laɪts/
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading The lights on each altar and all the candelabra in the choir were burning.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
meritnounUS /ˈmerət/
any admirable quality or attribute
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
NeverthelessadverbUS /ˌnevərðəˈles/
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/
impressive in appearance
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
obscuritynounUS /əbsˈkjʊrəti/
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
offeringsnounUS /ˈɔːfərɪŋz/
plural of “offering” — something offered (as a proposal or bid)
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
partsnounUS /pɑːrts/
the local environment
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
piousadjectiveUS /ˈpaɪəs/
having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
prevailedverbUS /prɪˈveɪld/
past form of “prevail” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/
get something; come into possession of
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
SaintsnounUS /seɪnts/
plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
seatnounUS /siːt/
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
sermonnounUS /ˈsɜːrmən/
an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
significationnoun
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
sufficientlyadverbUS /səˈfɪʃəntli/
to a sufficient degree
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
tapersnounUS /ˈteɪpərz/
plural of “taper” — a convex shape that narrows toward a point
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
ToursnounUS /tʊrz/
an industrial city in western France on the Loire River
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
towersnounUS /ˈtaʊərz/
plural of “tower” — a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
triangularadjectiveUS /traɪˈæŋɡjələr/
having three angles; forming or shaped like a triangle
From this reading Nevertheless a goodly number of tapers were burning in honor of the saints on the triangular candle-trays destined to receive such pious offerings, the merit and signification of which have never been sufficiently explained.
vespersnoun
the sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office; early evening; now often made a public service on Sundays
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The archbishop Helie de Bourdeilles was rising from his seat to give the benediction himself to the faithful.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In 1479, on All Saints’ day, the moment at which this history begins, vespers were ending in the cathedral of Tours.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading The sermon had been long; darkness had fallen during the service, and in certain parts of the noble church (the towers of which were not yet finished) the deepest obscurity prevailed.
