Chapter XVI

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

anew

From this reading Once again it was Christmas-day.

Having no one else present.

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

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

From this reading But there were other good things at Ashburn Priory beside-plum-pudding.

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But there were other good things at Ashburn Priory beside-plum-pudding.

an occurrence of something

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

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

From this reading Once again it was Christmas-day.

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

the act of consuming food

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

render capable or able for some task

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

the petals or sepals of a flower that bend downward (especially the outer perianth of an iris)

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

a social unit living together

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

make fertile or productive

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading But there were other good things at Ashburn Priory beside-plum-pudding.

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

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

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

plural of “hold” — the act of grasping

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

a social unit living together

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Once again it was Christmas-day.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

a protective covering that protects an inside surface

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

plural of “merit” — any admirable quality or attribute

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

on one occasion

From this reading Once again it was Christmas-day.

and nothing more

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading But there were other good things at Ashburn Priory beside-plum-pudding.

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

above and across; more than

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

religious residence in a monastery governed by a prior or a convent governed by a prioress

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

any of various soft thick unsweetened baked dishes

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

express in words

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

get rid of

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

trying something to find out about it

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

give testimony in a court of law

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

in or at that place or location

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading But there were other good things at Ashburn Priory beside-plum-pudding.

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

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

a fact that has been verified

From this reading At Ashburn Priory the plum-pudding was a “great fact;” Hugh Colville said so, and he ought to have known, for he ate enough, not to say too much, of it to test its merits--at least, if there be any truth in the old proverb, that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Love and Joy and Peace dwelt there, and pure Religion shed her mild light upon that happy household.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

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

From this reading Once again it was Christmas-day.

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

From this reading But there were other good things at Ashburn Priory beside-plum-pudding.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.

but in spite of that

From this reading The cloud which had hung over the fortunes of the Colville family had passed away, and the silver lining alone remained to testify that, although “In every life some rain must fall, Some days be dark and dreary,’ _yet_ that rain falls only to fertilise the ground, and enable it to bring forth fruit and flowers; and the metaphor holds good in the case before us.