used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
(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 They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
assizesnoun
the county courts of England (replaced in 1971 by Crown courts)
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
being joined in close association
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
for the reason that
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
brethrennounUS /ˈbreðrən/
(plural) the lay members of a male religious order
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
briefsnounUS /briːfs/
(used in the plural) short tight-fitting underpants (trade name Jockey shorts)
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
CircuitnounUS /ˈsɜːrkət/
an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
deemedverbUS /diːmd/
past form of “deem” — keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
dineverbUS /daɪn/
have supper; eat dinner
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
diningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/
the act of eating dinner
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
the state of being honored
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
legaladjectiveUS /ˈliːɡəl/
established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
engage in
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
ManchesternounUS /ˈmæntʃestər/
largest city in New Hampshire; located in southeastern New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
the force of workers available
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
metropolisnounUS /məˈtrɑːpələs/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
NorthernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
privilegenounUS /ˈprɪvlədʒ/
a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
the body of people in a learned occupation
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
realmnounUS /relm/
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
smokyadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊki/
marked by or emitting or filled with smoke
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading They were attached to the Northern Circuit, and were doing their best to make their stay in the smoky metropolis as pleasant as possible.
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
an old word meaning “to that place”
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
visitingnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ/
the activity of making visits
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They all belonged to the legal profession, and had been drawn thither by the assizes which were being held.
which person or people
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading MAN AND WIFE A number of men were dining in the principal hotel in Manchester.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
the basic unit of money in South Korea
From this reading Most of them were men who had won a position in the realm of the law, and were now visiting Manchester because their profession had called them thither.
but in spite of that
From this reading A few there were who were as yet hungry for briefs and could not get them, but who deemed it a privilege and an honour to be invited to dine with their more successful brethren.
