used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Directly, nothing could be done for him.
exhale hard
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
captivitynounUS /kæpˈtɪvəti/
the state of being imprisoned
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
connectionsnounUS /kəˈnekʃənz/
plural of “connection” — a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
consequencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/
plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Directly, nothing could be done for him.
crushingadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌʃɪŋ/
physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
dignitariesnounUS /ˈdɪɡnəteriz/
plural of “dignitary” — an important or influential (and often overbearing) person
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
without deviation
From this reading Directly, nothing could be done for him.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Directly, nothing could be done for him.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
enabledverbUS /eˈneɪbəld/
past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
enlistedverbUS /ˌenˈlɪstɪd/
past form of “enlist” — join the military
From this reading The help of every possible secret influence was enlisted.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The help of every possible secret influence was enlisted.
give expression to
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Directly, nothing could be done for him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
greatnessnounUS /ˈɡreɪtnəs/
the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading The help of every possible secret influence was enlisted.
hesitateverbUS /ˈhezəteɪt/
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Directly, nothing could be done for him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
indirectlyadverbUS /ˌɪndərˈektliː/
not in a forthright manner
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
inducedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈduːst/
brought about or caused; not spontaneous
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading The help of every possible secret influence was enlisted.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
interviewedverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuːd/
past form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
leadersnounUS /ˈliːdərz/
the body of people who lead a group
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
madnessnounUS /ˈmædnəs/
obsolete terms for legal insanity
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
information about recent and important events
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Directly, nothing could be done for him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
officialsnounUS /əˈfɪʃəlz/
plural of “official” — a worker who holds or is invested with an office
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
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 But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
personages
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading The help of every possible secret influence was enlisted.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
except for; apart from
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading The help of every possible secret influence was enlisted.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
a male human offspring
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
spheresnounUS /sfɪrz/
plural of “sphere” — a particular environment or walk of life
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
carry out
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The news of his captivity was a crushing blow.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Great personages were approached by society leaders, high dignitaries were interviewed, powerful officials were induced to take an interest in that affair.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading But the greatness of their name, of their position, their wide relations and connections in the highest spheres, enabled his parents to act indirectly and they moved heaven and earth, as the saying is, to save their son from the ‘consequences of his madness,’ as poor Prince John did not hesitate to express himself.
