used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
AbbeynounUS /ˈæbi/
a church associated with a monastery or convent
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
conditionaladjectiveUS /kənˈdɪʃənəl/
qualified by reservations
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
permission to do something
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
costumenounUS /kɑːˈstuːm/
the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
dining-roomnoun
a room used for dining
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
disparitynounUS /dɪˈsperəti/
inequality or difference in some respect
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
fashionableadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənəbəl/
being or in accordance with current social fashions
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
FellowshipnounUS /ˈfeloʊʃɪp/
an association of people who share common beliefs or activities
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
Gainsboroughnoun
English portrait and landscape painter (1727-1788)
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
a young female
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
hangsnounUS /hæŋz/
plural of “hang” — a special way of doing something
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
historicadjectiveUS /hɪˈstɔːrɪk/
belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
JoshuanounUS /ˈdʒɑːʃuːə/
(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
immediately past
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
miniaturenounUS /ˈmɪniətʃʊr/
painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
obtainingverbUS /əbˈteɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
on one occasion
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
and nothing more
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
opposedadjectiveUS /əˈpoʊzd/
being in opposition or having an opponent
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
passportnounUS /ˈpæspɔːrt/
any authorization to pass or go somewhere
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
personagenoun
another word for person; a person not meriting identification
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
positionsnounUS /pəˈzɪʃənz/
plural of “position” — the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
RoyaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
term of address for a man
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
relating to human society and its members
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
express in speech
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was strange indeed to hear a living man speak of himself as the former lover of this, to me, historic personage.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
uncle'snounUS /ˈʌŋkəlz/
possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Sir Thomas, however," he went on, "was much opposed to our union, on the ground of some real or fancied social disparity in our positions; but I at last obtained his conditional consent, if only I could succeed in obtaining the Fellowship of the Royal Society, which might, he thought, be accepted as a passport into that fashionable circle of which he was a member.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I took the miniature which he handed me, and looked at it closely.
Whittingham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
belonging to which person
From this reading I recognized the face at once as that of a lady whose portrait by Gainsborough hangs on the walls of my uncle's dining-room at Whittingham Abbey.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading It was the picture of a young and beautiful girl, with the features and costume of a Sir Joshua.
