used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
in addition
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
applicableadjectiveUS /ˈæpləkəbəl/
capable of being applied; having relevance
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
ballroomnounUS /ˈbɔːlruːm/
large room used mainly for dancing
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
bellsnounUS /belz/
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
the time when something begins (especially life)
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
developverbUS /dɪˈveləp/
make something new, such as a product or a mental or artistic creation
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
dropt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
eventuallyadverbUS /ɪˈventʃəwəli/
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
garternounUS /ˈɡɑːrtər/
a band (usually elastic) worn around the leg to hold up a stocking (or around the arm to hold up a sleeve)
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
not accessible to view
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
illustrateverbUS /ˈɪləstreɪt/
clarify by giving an example of
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
of great significance or value
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
individualsnounUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəlz/
plural of “individual” — a human being
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
initiatedverbUS /ˌɪˈnɪʃieɪtəd/
past form of “initiate” — bring into being
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
instancesnounUS /ˈɪnstənsəz/
plural of “instance” — an occurrence of something
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
KnighthoodnounUS /ˈnaɪthʊd/
aristocrats holding the rank of knight
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
man-in-the-street
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
moralities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
used to form the superlative
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
nationsnounUS /ˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “nation” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
not any; not one
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
nowadaysnounUS /ˈnaʊədeɪz/
the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
on one occasion
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
and nothing more
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
plebeiannounUS /pləˈbiːən/
one of the common people
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
presidentsnounUS /ˈprezədents/
plural of “president” — an executive officer of a firm or corporation
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
PROBINGadjectiveUS /ˈproʊbɪŋ/
diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
reformnounUS /rəˈfɔːrm/
a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
RepublicnounUS /riˈpʌblək/
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
ridiculenounUS /ˈrɪdəkjuːl/
language or behavior intended to mock or humiliate
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
RoyaltynounUS /ˈrɔɪəlti/
payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
seednounUS /siːd/
a small hard fruit
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
significancenounUS /səɡˈnɪfɪkəns/
the quality of being significant
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
spellingnounUS /ˈspelɪŋ/
forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
time-honouredadjective
acceptable for a long time
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A garter dropt in the ballroom of Royalty gives birth to an Order of Knighthood; a movement to reform the spelling of the English language, initiated by one of the presidents of a great Republic, becomes eventually an object of ridicule.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
TRIVIALadjectiveUS /ˈtrɪviəl/
(informal) small and of little importance
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
truthsnounUS /truːθs/
plural of “truth” — a fact that has been verified
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Only two instances to illustrate our point, which is applicable also to time-honoured truths and moralities.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
utterancenounUS /ˈʌtərəns/
the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
versa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
vicenounUS /vaɪs/
moral weakness
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading PROBING THE TRIVIAL The most important in the history of nations and individuals was once the most trivial, and vice versa.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
which person or people
From this reading The plebeian, who is called to-day the man-in-the-street, can never see and understand the significance of the hidden seed of things, which in time must develop or die.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But no matter how important or trivial these, he who would give utterance to them must do so in cap and bells, if he would be heard nowadays.
