used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
(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 All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
artificiallyadverbUS /ˌɑːrtəˈfɪʃəli/
not according to nature; not by natural means
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
authoritiesnounUS /əˈθɔːrətiz/
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
blindlyadverbUS /ˈblaɪndli/
without seeing or looking
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
cabals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
conspiraciesnounUS /kənˈspɪrəsiz/
plural of “conspiracy” — a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
Court-Marshal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
courtiernounUS /ˈkɔːrtiər/
an attendant at the court of a sovereign
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
coxcombnoun
a conceited dandy who is overly impressed by his own accomplishments
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
deceptionnounUS /dɪˈsepʃən/
a misleading falsehood
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
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 Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/
past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
fulfilledadjectiveUS /fʊlˈfɪld/
completed to perfection
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
high-born
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
impostorsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːstərz/
plural of “impostor” — a person who makes deceitful pretenses
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
insipidadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsɪpəd/
lacking taste or flavor or tang
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
intriguesnounUS /ˌɪnˈtriːɡz/
plural of “intrigue” — a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
libertinesnounUS /ˈlɪbərtiːnz/
plural of “libertine” — a dissolute person; usually a man who is morally unrestrained
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
lordsnounUS /lɔːrdz/
plural of “lord” — terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
maliciousadjectiveUS /məˈlɪʃəs/
having the nature of or resulting from malice
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
miserlyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪzərli/
(used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
used to form the superlative
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
PrimeadjectiveUS /praɪm/
first in rank or degree
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
quarrelsnounUS /ˈkwɔːrəlz/
plural of “quarrel” — an angry dispute
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
without much difficulty
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
romancesnounUS /roʊˈmænsɪz/
plural of “romance” — a relationship between two lovers
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
selfishnessnounUS /ˈselfɪʃnəs/
stinginess resulting from a concern for your own welfare and a disregard of others
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
confined on all sides
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first time in my life I should appear as a courtier.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
unprincipledadjectiveUS /ənˈprɪnsəpəld/
lacking principles or moral scruples
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
villainnounUS /ˈvɪlən/
a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
be dressed in
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading All the absurd stories, therefore, which I had read in romances, of cabals, quarrels, intrigues, and conspiracies, floated through my brain.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Every countenance must artificially wear the most agreeable expression, while in the heart all is selfishness and deception.
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading Thus my wishes were far more readily, and more early than I could have expected, fulfilled.
writersnounUS /ˈraɪtərz/
plural of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading According to the most received authorities among novel writers, the Prince must be surrounded and blindly led by all sorts of impostors; especially, too, the Court-Marshal must be an insipid, proud, high-born coxcomb; the Prime Minister a malicious, miserly villain; the lords in waiting gay and unprincipled libertines.
