Chapter VI · Chapter 6

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading ABOUT THE LAIRD.

highly skilled

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

how long something has existed

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

(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 By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

disposed to please

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

plural of “arcanum” — information known only to a special group

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

related to or dealing with or devoted to archaeology

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

brought into existence

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

a female human offspring

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

possessing an education (especially having more than average knowledge)

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

inflected form of “excel” — distinguish oneself

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

a social unit living together

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

the aggregate of past events

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

a landowner

From this reading ABOUT THE LAIRD.

immediately past

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

creative writing of recognized artistic value

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

not any; not one

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

-ing form of “pinch” — squeeze tightly between the fingers

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

cut with a saw

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

financial aid provided to a student on the basis of academic merit

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

plural of “taste” — the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus

From this reading But from pleasure in scholarship, from archaeological tastes, a passion for the arcana of history, and a love of literature, strong, although not of the highest kind, he had settled down as a school-master, and in his calling had excelled.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading ABOUT THE LAIRD.

in or at that place or location

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

not precisely limited, determined, or distinguished

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

up to a particular time

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

-ing form of “verge” — border on; come close to

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

precisely as stated

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

at the time that

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

which person or people

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Thomas Fordyce was a sucker from the root of a very old family tree, born in poverty, and, with great pinching of father and mother, brothers and sisters, educated for the Church.

wither, as with a loss of moisture

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.

Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.

From this reading By all who knew him he was regarded as an accomplished, amiable, and worthy man.

a late time of life

From this reading When his years were verging on the undefined close of middle age he saw the lives between him and the family property, one by one wither at the touch of death, until at last there was no one but himself and his daughter to succeed.