used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Tread softly, Strange—here a Nation sleeps.
agelongadjective
lasting through all time
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
(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 The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
billsnounUS /bɪlz/
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
CommonsnounUS /ˈkɑːmənz/
a piece of open land for recreational use in an urban area
From this reading MAINWARING: _Elegy on the House of Commons_.
conveniencenounUS /kənˈviːnjəns/
the state of being suitable or opportune
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
ElegynounUS /ˈelədʒiː/
a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
From this reading MAINWARING: _Elegy on the House of Commons_.
being one more than ten
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
exactingadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/
having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
apart from; not including
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Tread softly, Strange—here a Nation sleeps.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading MAINWARING: _Elegy on the House of Commons_.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
institutionnounUS /ˌɪnstɪˈtuːʃən/
an organization founded and united for a specific purpose
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
legislationnounUS /ˌledʒəˈsleɪʃən/
law enacted by a legislative body
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
liableadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪəbəl/
at risk of or subject to experiencing something usually unpleasant
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
MAINWARING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MAINWARING: _Elegy on the House of Commons_.
meaninglessadjectiveUS /ˈmiːnɪŋləs/
having no meaning or direction or purpose
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
a particular point in time
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Tread softly, Strange—here a Nation sleeps.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
not any; not one
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
not divisible by two
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MAINWARING: _Elegy on the House of Commons_.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading MAINWARING: _Elegy on the House of Commons_.
on one occasion
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
one's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
PARLIAMENTnounUS /ˈpɑːrləmənt/
a legislative assembly in certain countries
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
previouslyadverbUS /ˈpriːviəsli/
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
proxynounUS /ˈprɑːksi/
a person authorized to act for another
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
readingsnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋz/
plural of “reading” — the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
relieveverbUS /rɪˈliːv/
provide physical relief, as from pain
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
representedadjectiveUS /ˌreprɪˈzentɪd/
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
restrictedadjectiveUS /riˈstrɪktəd/
subject to restriction or subjected to restriction
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
sleepsnounUS /sliːps/
plural of “sleep” — a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Tread softly, Strange—here a Nation sleeps.
with low volume
From this reading Tread softly, Strange—here a Nation sleeps.
not in physical motion
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Tread softly, Strange—here a Nation sleeps.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MAINWARING: _Elegy on the House of Commons_.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
traditionnounUS /trəˈdɪʃən/
an inherited pattern of thought or action
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
TreadverbUS /tred/
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading Tread softly, Strange—here a Nation sleeps.
tyrannynounUS /ˈtɪrəni/
a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
votingnounUS /ˈvoʊtɪŋ/
a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To be a member of Parliament was in those days, of course, a more exacting claim upon one’s time and convenience than it is now.
WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/
the fourth day of the week; the third working day
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
in or at the place that
From this reading IN PARLIAMENT See, where her court an agelong Silence keeps!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The meaningless tyranny of tradition still made it impossible to be represented in any circumstances by a proxy, and no effort had been made to relieve the burden of legislation except the institution, once a week, of “voting night”: the second and third readings of all bills, which had previously been liable to surprise the House at any odd moment, were now restricted to Wednesday evening, between the hours of nine and eleven.
