used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
AbrahamnounUS /ˈeɪbrəhæm/
the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac; according to Genesis, God promised to give Abraham's family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan (the Promised Land); God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
how long something has existed
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
(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 And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
ancestrynounUS /ˈænsestri/
the descendants of one individual
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
brought into existence
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
the act of breaking something
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
breedingnounUS /ˈbriːdɪŋ/
elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
Cottontown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Such a man was Hillard Watts, the Cottontown preacher.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
apart from; not including
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
HILLARD
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
innateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈneɪt/
not established by conditioning or learning
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading It matters not from what source such a man may spring.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading It matters not from what source such a man may spring.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
not any; not one
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It matters not from what source such a man may spring.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
pedigreenounUS /ˈpedəɡri/
the descendants of one individual
From this reading And he need have no known pedigree at all, except an honest ancestry behind him.
preachernounUS /ˈpriːtʃər/
someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel
From this reading Such a man was Hillard Watts, the Cottontown preacher.
plural of “principle” — a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading It matters not from what source such a man may spring.
the season of growth
From this reading It matters not from what source such a man may spring.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It matters not from what source such a man may spring.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Such a man was Hillard Watts, the Cottontown preacher.
WATTSnounUS /wɑːts/
English poet and theologian (1674-1748)
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
(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 It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It matters not from what source such a man may spring.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading HILLARD WATTS It is good for the world now and then to go back to first principles in religion.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would be better for it never to get away from them; but, since it has that way of doing--of breeding away and breaking away from the innate good--it is well that a man should be born in any age with the faith of Abraham.
