used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Or you, as far as that goes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
earlier than; in front of
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
BequeathedverbUS /bəˈkwiːθt/
past form of “bequeath” — leave or give by will after one's death
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
biddenverbUS /ˈbɪdɪn/
inflected form of “bid” — propose a payment
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
BritainnounUS /ˈbrɪtən/
a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; “Great Britain” is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
dingied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
fantasynounUS /ˈfæntəsi/
imagination unrestricted by reality
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Or you, as far as that goes.
FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading FIRST MAN [_shaking hands with the man and the woman_] Well!
fognounUS /fɑːɡ/
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading Or you, as far as that goes.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading FIRST MAN [_shaking hands with the man and the woman_] Well!
Hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/
an old form of “has”
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Who’d have thought of meeting you here!
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Who’d have thought of meeting you here!
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
illimitableadjective
without limits in extent or size or quantity
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading FIRST MAN [_shaking hands with the man and the woman_] Well!
Man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading Who’d have thought of meeting you here!
the force of workers available
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
subject to death
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Or you, as far as that goes.
past form of “print” — put into print
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
risesnounUS /ˈraɪzəz/
plural of “rise” — a growth in strength or number or importance
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
servingnounUS /ˈsɜːrvɪŋ/
an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading FIRST MAN [_shaking hands with the man and the woman_] Well!
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
stynounUS /staɪ/
an infection of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
StygianadjectiveUS /ˈstɪdʒiən/
hellish
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Or you, as far as that goes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
Thick-screened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Who’d have thought of meeting you here!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
veilsnounUS /veɪlz/
plural of “veil” — a garment that covers the head and face
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading FIRST MAN [_shaking hands with the man and the woman_] Well!
at the time that
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
which person or people
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
Who'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Who’d have thought of meeting you here!
in the company of; together with
From this reading FIRST MAN [_shaking hands with the man and the woman_] Well!
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
but in spite of that
From this reading _Printed in Great Britain._ “_Hath serving nature, bidden of the gods, Thick-screened Man’s narrow sky, And hung these Stygian veils of fog To hide his dingied sty?-- The gods who yet, at mortal birth, Bequeathed him fantasy?_” _When the curtain rises, two men and a woman are discovered talking before an illimitable background._
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Who’d have thought of meeting you here!
