Chapter V

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

gotten through environmental forces

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

(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 They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

plural of “colony” — a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

law determining the fundamental political principles of a government

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

past form of “deliberate” — think about carefully; weigh

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

characterized by or advocating or based upon the principles of democracy or social equality

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

wanted intensely

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

set up or found

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

presently existing

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

the body of people who are citizens of a particular government

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

responsible for making and enforcing rules and laws

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

ten 10s

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

plural of “ideal” — the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

freedom from control or influence of another or others

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

and nothing more

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the collection of rules imposed by authority

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

engage in

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

plural of “maker” — a person who makes things

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

plural of “meeting” — a formally arranged gathering

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

a hypothetical description of a complex entity or process

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

formally approved and invested with legal authority

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

plural of “rule” — a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

be standing; be upright

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

plural of “statesman” — a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

trying something to find out about it

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

the starting point for a new state or experience

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

having won

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading In this document, which was ratified by the States then existing and which became the law of those States which were admitted to the nation, its makers set down certain rules governing the making of war.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

belonging to which person

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading For months they deliberated, bringing to the meetings all the wisdom, all the ideals, all the visioning they had acquired from long study, and from victorious, righteous warfare.

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Finally they--the fathers of our republic--completed a document that has governed the United States of America and become to the world a model of democratic government.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading They desired, above all things, to establish a government which would stand the test of time and remain a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

a late time of life

From this reading HOW THE UNITED STATES WENT INTO WAR One hundred and thirty years before the great war of Europe came to the threshold of the United States a group of wise, far-sighted statesmen met in the city of Philadelphia to make a constitution for the governing of the Colonies whose independence had just been won.