used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
achieveverbUS /əˈtʃiːv/
to gain with effort
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
(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 Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
backsnounUS /bæks/
plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
belliesnounUS /ˈbeliz/
plural of “belly” — the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
the two together, not just one
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
Bret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
DickensnounUS /ˈdɪkənz/
a word used in exclamations of confusion
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
any creature of exceptional size
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
harderadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdər/
comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
only a very short time before
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
HartenounUS /hɑːrt/
United States writer noted for his stories about life during the California gold rush (1836-1902)
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
KiplingnounUS /ˈkɪplɪŋ/
English author of novels and poetry who was born in India (1865-1936)
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
Letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
have ownership or possession of
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
a course of conduct
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
popularitynounUS /ˌpɑːpjəˈlerəti/
the quality of being widely admired or accepted or sought after
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
seventy-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈsevəntifaɪv/
being five more than seventy
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
have in common
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
stickingadjectiveUS /ˈstɪkɪŋ/
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
striveverbUS /straɪv/
attempt by employing effort
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
TennysonnounUS /ˈtenɪsən/
Englishman and Victorian poet (1809-1892)
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
ThackeraynounUS /ˈθækəri/
English writer (born in India) (1811-1863)
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Melancholy Author himself looks hardly more than seventy-five.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Let one of them achieve a result of this kind and he will find it all the harder to achieve another.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Another lion in the path of genius is its own success—the low kind of success that is called popularity, for which some sons of the gods, with their bellies sticking to their backs, really do strive.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading The great writer is likely, by the way, to share that view himself, as Thackeray, reading over some of his early work, exclaimed: ‘What a giant I was in those days!’
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
a late time of life
From this reading “‘Written out, written out’—England said so of Dickens and Tennyson; America said so of Bret Harte; both have for five years been saying so of Kipling.
