adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
acceptverbUS /ækˈsept/
consider or hold as true
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
animalnounUS /ˈænəməl/
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/
eagerly desirous
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
bipednoun
an animal with two feet
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
boldlyadverbUS /ˈboʊldli/
with boldness, in a bold manner
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
calledverbUS /kɔːld/
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
challengeverbUS /ˈtʃæləndʒ/
take exception to
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
controversynounUS /ˈkɑːntrəvɜːrsi/
a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
declinedverbUS /dɪˈklaɪnd/
past form of “decline” — grow worse
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
eligibleadjectiveUS /ˈelədʒəbəl/
qualified for or allowed or worthy of being chosen
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
engagementnounUS /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
feeding-time
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
four-footedadjective
having four feet
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
hopenounUS /hoʊp/
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
imaginedverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒənd/
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
invitationnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/
a polite name for any woman
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
lionnounUS /ˈlaɪən/
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
lionsnounUS /ˈlaɪənz/
plural of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
namesakesnounUS /ˈneɪmseɪks/
plural of “namesake” — a person with the same name as another
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
obtainverbUS /əbˈteɪn/
come into possession of
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
opinionsnounUS /əˈpɪnjənz/
plural of “opinion” — a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
partnounUS /pɑːrt/
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/
an organization to gain political power
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
perfectlyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrfəktli/
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
pleanounUS /pliː/
a humble request for help from someone in authority
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
postedadjectiveUS /ˈpoʊstɪd/
publicly displayed
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
previouslyadverbUS /ˈpriːviəsli/
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
prioradjectiveUS /ˈpraɪər/
earlier in time
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
refusalnounUS /rəˈfjuːzəl/
the act of refusing
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/
To recall to mind.
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
resolutelyadverbUS /ˈresəluːtli/
showing firm determination or purpose
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
retractedadjectiveUS /riˈtræktəd/
drawn back and in
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
stayverbUS /steɪ/
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading We at once retracted our plea of a prior engagement, and became as anxious to go, as we had previously been to stay away.
subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
upholdverbUS /əpˈhoʊld/
keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading In every respect we uphold the biped lions against their four-footed namesakes, and we boldly challenge controversy upon the subject.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
viewnounUS /vjuː/
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We do not remember to have ever seen one of them perfectly awake, except at feeding-time.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
whenceadverbUS /wens/
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading We went early, and posted ourselves in an eligible part of the drawing-room, from whence we could hope to obtain a full view of the interesting animal.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With these opinions it may be easily imagined that our curiosity and interest were very much excited the other day, when a lady of our acquaintance called on us and resolutely declined to accept our refusal of her invitation to an evening party; ‘for,’ said she, ‘I have got a lion coming.’
