1880
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
anticipationnounUS /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/
an expectation
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
artisticadjectiveUS /ɑːrˈtɪstɪk/
relating to or characteristic of art or artists
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
criterionnounUS /kraɪˈtɪriən/
a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
dreariest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
eighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/
being one more than seventeen
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
Eliza
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
excellencenounUS /ˈeksələns/
the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
feweradjectiveUS /ˈfjuːər/
(comparative of “few” used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
magnitudenounUS /ˈmæɡnətuːd/
the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small)
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
a female domestic
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
of an obscure nature
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
notablyadverbUS /ˈnoʊtəbli/
especially; in particular
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
OperanounUS /ˈɑːprə/
a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
PETERSBURGnounUS /ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/
a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil War
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
pleasurableadjectiveUS /ˈpleʒərəbəl/
affording satisfaction or pleasure
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
representverbUS /ˌreprɪˈzent/
take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
RussianounUS /ˈrʌʃə/
a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
seasonsnounUS /ˈsiːzənz/
plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
seventeenadjectiveUS /ˈsevənˈtiːn/
being one more than sixteen
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
deliver by singing
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
sungnounUS /sʌŋ/
the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy
From this reading In 1880, however, it was a criterion of artistic excellence and position to have sung in the Petersburg Opera.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading Since then they have, I understand, gone off, and fewer and fewer stars of the first magnitude go there to sing.
ViennanounUS /viˈenə/
the capital and largest city of Austria; located on the Danube in northeastern Austria; was the home of Beethoven and Brahms and Haydn and Mozart and Schubert and Strauss
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
at the time that
From this reading PETERSBURG When I received my engagement to sing at the Opera in Petersburg I was much pleased.
a Caucasian
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
in the company of; together with
From this reading My mother and I, a manager to represent me, my coloured maid Eliza, and some seventeen or eighteen trunks set out from Vienna; and we looked forward with pleasurable anticipation to our winter in the mysterious White Kingdom, not knowing then that it was to be one of the dreariest in our lives.
a late time of life
From this reading The opera seasons in Russia had for years been notably fine.
