used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
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 In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
centresnounUS /ˈsentərz/
plural of “centre” — a low-lying region in central France
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
a period of 100 years
From this reading Yet the developments of the nineteenth century were only the dawning of the new order.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
ChinanounUS /ˈtʃaɪnə/
a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
citiesnounUS /ˈsɪtiz/
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
unvarying in nature
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
dawningnounUS /ˈdɔːnɪŋ/
the first light of day
From this reading Yet the developments of the nineteenth century were only the dawning of the new order.
developmentsnounUS /dɪˈveləpmənts/
plural of “development” — act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining
From this reading Yet the developments of the nineteenth century were only the dawning of the new order.
devisedverbUS /dɪˈvaɪzd/
past form of “devise” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
the act of discovering something
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
to or in any or all places
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
flownounUS /floʊ/
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
fogsnounUS /fɔːɡz/
plural of “fog” — droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
heatingnounUS /ˈhiːtɪŋ/
the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
horriblyadverbUS /ˈhɔːrəbli/
of a dreadful kind
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
improvedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvd/
made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially made ready for use or marketing
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
inconvenientadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkənˈviːnjənt/
not suited to your comfort, purpose or needs
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
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 In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
insanitaryadjective
not sanitary or healthful
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
magnetismnounUS /ˈmæɡnətɪzəm/
attraction for iron; associated with electric currents as well as magnets; characterized by fields of force
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
methodsnounUS /ˈmeθədz/
plural of “method” — a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
used to form the superlative
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
of an obscure nature
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the eighteenth in position
From this reading Yet the developments of the nineteenth century were only the dawning of the new order.
noisyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪzi/
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
and nothing more
From this reading Yet the developments of the nineteenth century were only the dawning of the new order.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
win a victory over
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
populationnounUS /ˌpɑːpjəˈleɪʃən/
the people who inhabit a territory or state
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
preoccupationnounUS /priˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən/
an idea that preoccupies the mind and holds the attention
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
puerileadjectiveUS /pjuːˈriːl/
of or characteristic of a child
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
replacingnounUS /rɪˈpleɪsɪŋ/
the act of furnishing an equivalent person or thing in the place of another
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
Identical; not different.
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
schemesnounUS /skiːmz/
plural of “scheme” — an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
smokyadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊki/
marked by or emitting or filled with smoke
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
moving very fast
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
swollenadjectiveUS /ˈswoʊlən/
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
a special situation
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The first great cities of the new time were horribly inconvenient, darkened by smoky fogs, insanitary and noisy; but the discovery of new methods of building, new methods of heating, changed all this.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
townward
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
transitnounUS /ˈtrænzɪt/
a surveying instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical angles, consisting of a small telescope mounted on a tripod
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
transportnounUS /trænˈspɔːrt/
something that serves as a means of transportation
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
urbanadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrbən/
relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area
From this reading That this was an inevitable result of improved means of travel and transport--that, given swift means of transit, these things must be--was realised by few; and the most puerile schemes were devised to overcome the mysterious magnetism of the urban centres, and keep the people on the land.
VictorianadjectiveUS /vɪkˈtɔːriən/
of or relating to Queen Victoria of Great Britain or to the age in which she ruled
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
visiblyadverbUS /ˈvɪzəbli/
in a visible manner
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In Great Britain and New England, in India and China, the same thing was remarked: everywhere a few swollen towns were visibly replacing the ancient order.
writersnounUS /ˈraɪtərz/
plural of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading The flow of population townward was the constant preoccupation of Victorian writers.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet the developments of the nineteenth century were only the dawning of the new order.
