used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
addressingverbUS /əˈdresɪŋ/
-ing form of “address” — speak to
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
how long something has existed
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
(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 As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
antechambernounUS /ˈæntetʃeɪmbər/
a large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
courtiersnounUS /ˈkɔːrtiərz/
plural of “courtier” — an attendant at the court of a sovereign
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
the organ of sight
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
highest in quality
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
high-heeled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
Holliday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
king'snounUS /kɪŋz/
possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
majoritynounUS /məˈdʒɔːrəti/
the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
with speed
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
redeemedadjectiveUS /rɪˈdiːmd/
saved from the bondage of sin
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
RupertnounUS /ˈruːpərt/
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
a particular situation
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
sixty-sixadjective
being six more than sixty
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
sovereignadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːv.rən/
Possessing supreme or ultimate power; autonomous and commanding.
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
staturenounUS /ˈstætʃər/
high level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
not in physical motion
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
talleradjectiveUS /ˈtɔːlər/
comparative of “tall” — great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
in or at that place or location
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
vivaciousadjectiveUS /vəˈveɪʃəs/
vigorous and animated
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading As the King of France entered the antechamber a dead hush fell upon all there, and Rupert Holliday looked eagerly to see what sort of man was the greatest sovereign in Europe.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Louis was under middle height, in spite of his high-heeled shoes, but he had an air of dignity which fully redeemed his want of stature.
which person or people
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The courtiers all bent low as the king moved slowly down the line, addressing a word here and there.
a late time of life
From this reading Although he was sixty-six years of age, he was still handsome, and his eyes were bright, and his movements quick and vivacious.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The king's eye quickly caught that of the young Englishman, who with his companion was taller than the majority of those present.
