used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
a proposal for an appropriate course of action
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
affectionateadjectiveUS /əˈfekʃənət/
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
how long something has existed
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
ait
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
apologynounUS /əˈpɑːlədʒiː/
an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
atras
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vere mihi festus atras Eximet curas.--Horace.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
curas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vere mihi festus atras Eximet curas.--Horace.
dearly loved
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
esse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
et
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
Eximet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vere mihi festus atras Eximet curas.--Horace.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
festus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vere mihi festus atras Eximet curas.--Horace.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
HoracenounUS /ˈhɔːrəs/
Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
incomparableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkɑːmpərəbəl/
such that comparison is impossible; unsuitable for comparison or lacking features that can be compared
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
engage in
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
maternounUS /ˈmɑːtər/
an informal use of the Latin word for mother; sometimes used by British schoolboys or used facetiously
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
mihi
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vere mihi festus atras Eximet curas.--Horace.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
not any; not one
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
parentnounUS /ˈperənt/
a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
PianounUS /ˈpiːə/
perennial herb of East Indies to Polynesia and Australia; cultivated for its large edible root yielding Otaheite arrowroot starch
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
PlusnounUS /plʌs/
a useful or valuable quality
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
preceptsnounUS /ˈpriːsepts/
plural of “precept” — rule of personal conduct
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
priorem
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
prope
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
quam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
sapere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
senounUS /seɪ/
a toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
tendverbUS /tend/
have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The next morning I received a letter from my mother.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
vera
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
Vere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vere mihi festus atras Eximet curas.--Horace.
virtutibus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
Vult
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pia mater, Plus quam se sapere, et virtutibus esse priorem Vult, et ait prope vera.--Horace.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
wiseradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzər/
comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading I shall, therefore, make no apology for a few precepts, which I hope may tend to make you a wiser and better man.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My dear Henry," began my affectionate and incomparable parent-- "My dear Henry, "You have now fairly entered the world, and though at your age my advice may be but little followed, my experience cannot altogether be useless.
