used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
to or in a foreign country
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
agentsnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənts/
plural of “agent” — an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
Ah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
(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 “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
Allottee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
averred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
Barrister's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
billsnounUS /bɪlz/
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
of short duration or distance
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
briefsnounUS /briːfs/
(used in the plural) short tight-fitting underpants (trade name Jockey shorts)
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
bubblesnounUS /ˈbʌbəlz/
plural of “bubble” — a hollow globule of gas (e.g., air or carbon dioxide)
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
placed crosswise
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
crowdsnounUS /kraʊdz/
plural of “crowd” — a large number of things or people considered together
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
DirectorsnounUS /dərˈektərz/
plural of “director” — someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
feenounUS /fiː/
a fixed charge for a privilege or for professional services
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
holloverbUS /ˈhɑːloʊ/
encourage somebody by crying hollo
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
irregularadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈreɡjələr/
contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
not any; not one
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
PanicnounUS /ˈpænɪk/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
on the contrary
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
sharesnounUS /ʃerz/
plural of “share” — assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
slackadjectiveUS /slæk/
not tense or taut
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
not moving or operating freely
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading They went, and so did we.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “The Market now grew rather stiff, And shares not quite so free; Many Directors went abroad, And many an Allottee.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
which person or people
From this reading “The Panic grew, the bills came due, Directors crossed the sea; Who knows which first of the bubbles burst?
in the company of; together with
From this reading “And briefs fell slack, and no more at our back The agents in crowds did follow, Nor ten times a day, with papers or pay, Came to the Barrister’s hollo!
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
the least favorable outcome
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
wretchnounUS /retʃ/
performs some wicked deed
From this reading “I had done what was quite irregular, And it would work them grief, For all averred that the worst had occurred Since I refused the brief, ‘Ah, wretch!’ said they, ‘to turn away The fee upon a brief!’
