used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
how long something has existed
From this reading We age quickly in Ireland with the whiskey and the broken heads.
(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 We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading We age quickly in Ireland with the whiskey and the broken heads.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Irish leaders cannot fight.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
creednounUS /kriːd/
any system of principles or beliefs
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
demanding attention
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
degeneracynounUS /dɪˈdʒenərəsi/
the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
one or the other of two
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading The Irish leaders cannot fight.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
be suspended or hanging
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading We age quickly in Ireland with the whiskey and the broken heads.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
IrelandnounUS /ˈaɪərlənd/
a republic consisting of 26 of 32 counties comprising the island of Ireland; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1921
From this reading We age quickly in Ireland with the whiskey and the broken heads.
IrishnounUS /ˈaɪrɪʃ/
people of Ireland or of Irish extraction
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
the sound of laughing
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
leadersnounUS /ˈliːdərz/
the body of people who lead a group
From this reading The Irish leaders cannot fight.
engage in
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
held or filled or in use
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
with speed
From this reading We age quickly in Ireland with the whiskey and the broken heads.
settlementsnounUS /ˈsetəlmənts/
plural of “settlement” — 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 Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
ungovernableadjectiveUS /ənˈɡʌvərnəbəl/
incapable of being controlled
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading They can make the country ungovernable, and keep an English army occupied in watching them.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We Irish must either laugh or cry, and if we went in for crying, we should all hang ourselves.
whiskeynounUS /ˈwɪski/
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading We age quickly in Ireland with the whiskey and the broken heads.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Too close a union with the Irish had produced degeneracy both of character and creed in all the settlements of English.
