used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
in the past
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
(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 I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading CHAPTER ONE.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
districtsnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkts/
plural of “district” — a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
at any time
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
forefathersnounUS /ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz/
plural of “forefather” — the founder of a family
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
generationsnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “generation” — all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
the act of departing
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
homesnounUS /hoʊmz/
plural of “home” — where you live at a particular time
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
go away from a place
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
livelihoodnounUS /ˈlaɪvlihʊd/
the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
engage in
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading CHAPTER ONE.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
the local environment
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
ScotlandnounUS /ˈskɑːtlənd/
one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
try to get or reach
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
sorrowfuladjectiveUS /ˈsɑːroʊfəl/
experiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
express in words
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
precisely as stated
From this reading A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I could never make you understand what a sorrowful time that was to these poor people, or how much they suffered in going away.
in or at the place that
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading A few scattered themselves through other parts of the country; a few went to the great towns to seek for a livelihood; but by far the greater number made up their minds to leave for ever the land of their birth, and rose in the new, strange world beyond the sea a home for themselves and their children.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I cannot tell you how it all came about, but a great many people were obliged to leave their homes where they and their forefathers had lived for many generations.
