Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

(Old Testament) in Judeo-Christian mythology; the first man and the husband of Eve and the progenitor of the human race

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

(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 _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

the descendants of one individual

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

the time when something begins (especially life)

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

brought into existence

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

patterned with alternating squares of color

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

corrupted by contact or association

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

persuaded of; very sure

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

suffering shame

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

the state or fact of existing

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

opinion or judgment

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

a social unit living together

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

possessive form of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

(of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

a person of German nationality

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

a state of partial or total darkness

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

the father of your father or mother

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

plural of “history” — the aggregate of past events

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

the aggregate of past events

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

of great significance or value

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

past form of “insult” — treat, mention, or speak to rudely

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

take somebody somewhere

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

-ing form of “marry” — take in marriage

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

plural of “misfortune” — unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

used to form the superlative

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

not any; not one

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

the immediate descendants of a person

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

designating the generation of organisms from which hybrid offspring are produced

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

by chance

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

an ancestor in the direct line

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

a male human offspring

From this reading My mother, not having the fear of her father before her eyes, forgetful of the family dignity, disgraced herself, and contaminated the blood of her offspring, by marrying a farmer's son.

the rays of the sun

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

express a supposition

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

in or at that place or location

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

plural of “trait” — a distinguishing feature of your personal nature

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading The rector of ***, my grandfather, was as vain of his ancestry, as a German baron: and perhaps with no less reason, being convinced that Adam himself was his great progenitor.

plural of “vicissitude” — a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading In the opinion of some people, my misfortunes began before I was born.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading _My birth: Family dignity insulted: Resentment of my grandfather: Parental traits of character_ There are moments in which every man is apt to imagine, that the history of his own life is the most important of all histories.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The gloom and sunshine, with which my short existence has been chequered, lead me to suppose that a narrative of these vicissitudes may be interesting to others, as well as to myself.