used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
how long something has existed
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
in addition
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE SNAKE APPEARS.
argotnounUS /ˈɑːrɡət/
a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
Bimariabad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
a young person of either sex
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
choleranounUS /ˈkɑːlərə/
an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
conscientiousadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːnʃiˈenʃəs/
characterized by extreme care and great effort
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
costsnounUS /kɑːsts/
pecuniary reimbursement to the winning party for the expenses of litigation
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
DamoclesnounUS /ˈdæməkliːz/
the Greek courtier to Dionysius the Elder who (according to legend) was condemned to sit under a naked sword that was suspended by a hair in order to demonstrate to him that being a king was not the happy state Damocles had said it was (4th century BC)
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
droughtnounUS /draʊt/
a shortage of rainfall
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
in or to another place
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
EmpirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
EuropeannounUS /ˌjʊrəˈpiːən/
a native or inhabitant of Europe
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
divisible by two
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
faminenounUS /ˈfæmən/
an acute insufficiency
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
growsverbUS /ɡroʊz/
third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
handicapnounUS /ˈhændikæp/
the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
IndianounUS /ˈɪndiə/
a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
marked by a lack of interest
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
life'snounUS /laɪfs/
possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
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 However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
involving the mind or an intellectual process
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
not any; not one
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
and nothing more
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/
owed as a debt
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
prevalencenounUS /ˈprevələns/
the quality of prevailing generally; being widespread
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
punishmentsnounUS /ˈpʌnɪʃmənts/
plural of “punishment” — the act of punishing
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
regimentverbUS /ˈredʒəmənt/
subject to rigid discipline, order, and systematization
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
any object that is left unused or still extant
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
sixthadjectiveUS /sɪksθ/
coming next after the fifth and just before the seventh in position
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
SNAKEnounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading THE SNAKE APPEARS.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
not in physical motion
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SNAKE APPEARS.
a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
UrdunounUS /ərˈduː/
the official literary language of Pakistan, closely related to Hindi; widely used in India (mostly by Moslems); written in Arabic script
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
Warrenne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By his sixth birthday (the regiment being still in Bimariabad owing to the prevalence of drought, famine, and cholera elsewhere) Damocles de Warrenne, knowing the Urdu language and _argot_ perfectly, knew, in theory also, more of evil, in some directions, than did his own father.
at the time that
From this reading When the child has no mother and an indifferent father, life’s handicap is even more severe.
which person or people
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading However wise, devoted, and conscientious its parents may be, the evil is great, and remains one of the many heavy costs (or punishments) of Empire.
a late time of life
From this reading The European child who grows up in India, if only to the age of six or seven years, grows under a severe moral, physical, and mental handicap.
