used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had it continually renewed, and with the most expensive compositions.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
BishopsnounUS /ˈbɪʃəps/
plural of “bishop” — a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
blackingnoun
a substance used to produce a shiny protective surface on footwear
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But mark the sequel.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
compositionsnounUS /ˌkɑːmpəˈzɪʃənz/
plural of “composition” — the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading He had it continually renewed, and with the most expensive compositions.
seemingly without interruption
From this reading He had it continually renewed, and with the most expensive compositions.
determinationnounUS /dɪˌtɜːrməˈneɪʃən/
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
divisible by two
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
at any time
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
expensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspensɪv/
high in price or charging high prices
From this reading He had it continually renewed, and with the most expensive compositions.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
a state of high honor
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
inbredadjectiveUS /ˈɪnbred/
produced by inbreeding
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
mahoganynounUS /məˈhɑːɡəni/
wood of any of various mahogany trees; much used for cabinetwork and furniture
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading But mark the sequel.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
used to form the superlative
From this reading He had it continually renewed, and with the most expensive compositions.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
pewternounUS /ˈpjuːtər/
any of various alloys of tin with small amounts of other metals (especially lead)
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/
restored to a new condition
From this reading He had it continually renewed, and with the most expensive compositions.
sequelnounUS /ˈsiːkwəl/
something that follows something else
From this reading But mark the sequel.
sincereadjectiveUS /sɪnˈsɪr/
open and genuine; not deceitful
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
not in physical motion
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
subdueverbUS /səbˈduː/
put down by force or intimidation
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The Bishop learned to glory in his blacking far more than he had ever done in the original mahogany.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But mark the sequel.
threepennyadjective
used of nail size; 1 1/8 in long
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
vanquishedverbUS /ˈvæŋkwɪʃt/
past form of “vanquish” — come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading Still it was not to be: inbred pride is not so easily vanquished--even by Bishops!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
a flaw or weak point
From this reading The good Bishop had been quite ignorant that the threepenny bit was a pewter one; quite sincere, for the time, in his determination to subdue his own weakness.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had it continually renewed, and with the most expensive compositions.
