used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
(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 enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
botheredadjectiveUS /ˈbɑːðərd/
caused to show discomposure
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But this was the case no longer.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
an occurrence of something
From this reading But this was the case no longer.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
decadenounUS /deˈkeɪd/
a period of 10 years
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
earnedadjectiveUS /ɜːrnd/
gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
half-pintnoun
disparaging terms for small people
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
kronennounUS /ˈkroʊnən/
plural of “krone” — the basic unit of money in Norway
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
laborernounUS /ˈleɪbərər/
someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
for more time
From this reading But this was the case no longer.
engage in
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
not any; not one
From this reading But this was the case no longer.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
Phæaceans
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
pricesnounUS /ˈpraɪsəz/
plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
standstillnounUS /ˈstændstɪl/
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
supplementedverbUS /sʌpləmentɪd/
past form of “supplement” — add as a supplement to what seems insufficient
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But this was the case no longer.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
ViennanounUS /viˈenə/
the capital and largest city of Austria; located on the Danube in northeastern Austria; was the home of Beethoven and Brahms and Haydn and Mozart and Schubert and Strauss
From this reading A MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS Never had Vienna experienced a more melancholy Christmas.
wagesnounUS /ˈweɪdʒəz/
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The enormous cost of living was supplemented by an absolute standstill of all activity.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
fermented juice (of grapes especially)
From this reading They had been accustomed to them for a decade; as a matter of fact it did not make much difference whether a half-pint of wine cost five or ten thousand kronen, if people earned enough, if the laborer received high wages, and the merchant had his safe full of money every evening.
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading High prices alone would not have bothered the worthy Phæaceans.
