used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
a quantity of money
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
Arnoldo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
assistantnounUS /əˈsɪstənt/
a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
being joined in close association
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
dependedverbUS /dɪˈpendəd/
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
forgingnounUS /ˈfɔːrdʒɪŋ/
shaping metal by heating and hammering
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
illicitadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlɪsət/
contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
of great significance or value
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
incessantadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsesənt/
uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
inclinationsnounUS /ˌɪnkləˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “inclination” — an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
librariannounUS /laɪˈbreriːən/
a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
a room where books are kept
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
manualnounUS /ˈmænjuːəl/
a small handbook
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
manuscriptsnounUS /ˈmænjəskrɪpts/
plural of “manuscript” — the form of a literary work submitted for publication
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
Meschini
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
MondaysnounUS /ˈmʌndiz/
plural of “monday” — the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
Montevarchi
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
something you have to do
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
on one occasion
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
performedverbUS /pərˈfɔːrmd/
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
a human being
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
rejectedadjectiveUS /rɪˈdʒektɪd/
rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
required or under orders
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading The library had always been open to the public once a week, on Mondays, and on those occasions the librarian was obliged to be present.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The rest of his time was supposed to be devoted to the incessant labour connected with so important a collection of books, and, on the whole, he had done far more than was expected of him.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The amount of work which Arnoldo Meschini did in the twenty-four hours of the day depended almost entirely upon his inclinations.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Prince Montevarchi had never proposed to give him an assistant, and he would have rejected any such offer, since the presence of another person would have made it almost impossible for him to carry on his business of forging ancient manuscripts.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading The manual labour of his illicit craft was of course performed in his own room, but a second librarian could not have failed to discover that there was something wrong.
