used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
birch-bark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
make right or correct
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
createverbUS /kriˈeɪt/
make or cause to be or to become
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
debtnounUS /det/
the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
deludeverbUS /dɪˈluːd/
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
financiernounUS /ˌfɪnənˈsɪr/
a person skilled in large scale financial transactions
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
IroquoisnounUS /ˈɪrəkwɔɪ/
any member of the warlike North American Indian peoples formerly living in New York State; the Iroquois League were allies of the British during the American Revolution
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
issueverbUS /ˈɪʃuː/
prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
keepernounUS /ˈkiːpər/
someone in charge of other people
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
conformity or harmony
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
engage in
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
not any; not one
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
oysternounUS /ˈɔɪstər/
marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell; found on the sea bed mostly in coastal waters
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
paritynounUS /ˈperəti/
(obstetrics) the number of liveborn children a woman has delivered
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
persuadeverbUS /pərˈsweɪd/
win approval or support for
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
plural of “principle” — a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
promisesnounUS /ˈprɑːməsəz/
plural of “promise” — a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
PuritansnounUS /ˈpjʊrətənz/
plural of “puritan” — a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
a person who is head of an administrative department of government
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
shellsnounUS /ʃelz/
plural of “shell” — ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
sustainverbUS /səˈsteɪn/
lengthen or extend in duration or space
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This old Indian financier had simple and correct principles.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
treasurynounUS /ˈtreʒəri/
the funds of a government or institution or individual
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
hard to endure
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
wampumnounUS /ˈwɑːmpəm/
informal terms for money
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
a Caucasian
From this reading Nor can we imagine him trying to sustain the value of the white wampum after the Puritans started in to make it out of oyster shells by machinery.
in the company of; together with
From this reading No one could persuade him to issue birch-bark promises to pay and delude himself with the belief that he could thus create money.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The Iroquois had a keeper of wampum--a sort of secretary of the treasury without the task of keeping nine different kinds of money on a parity.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He certainly would have called them a debt, and would have paid them off as fast as he could.
