used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
aggressiveadjectiveUS /əˈɡresɪv/
having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
choirnounUS /ˈkwaɪər/
a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
congregationaladjectiveUS /ˌkɑːŋɡrəˈɡeɪʃənəl/
relating to or conducted or participated in by a congregation
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
conservativeadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrvətɪv/
resistant to change, particularly in relation to politics or religion
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
make right or correct
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
crackedadjectiveUS /krækt/
used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
deafenedadjective
caused to hear poorly or not at all
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
dearly loved
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
drawling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
elementsnounUS /ˈeləmənts/
violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
set up or found
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
gloried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
grumbledverbUS /ˈɡrʌmbəld/
past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
grumblingnounUS /ˈɡrʌmbəlɪŋ/
a loud low dull continuous noise
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
immemorialadjectiveUS /ˌɪməˈmɔːriəl/
long past; beyond the limits of memory or tradition or recorded history
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
used to form the superlative
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
not any; not one
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
by chance
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
a special situation
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
at the time that
From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
which person or people
From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
