used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
(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 It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
assertverbUS /əˈsɜːrt/
state categorically
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
a state at a particular time
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
dearly loved
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
defectiveadjectiveUS /dɪˈfektɪv/
having a defect
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
disastrousadjectiveUS /dɪˈzæstrəs/
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
DOROTHY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
drainagenounUS /ˈdreɪnədʒ/
emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
set up or found
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
Gerald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
habitationnounUS /ˌhæbəˈteɪʃən/
the native habitat or home of an animal or plant
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
ill-advisedadjective
without careful prior deliberation or counsel
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
impliedverbUS /ˌɪmˈplaɪd/
inflected form of “imply” — express or state indirectly
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
justifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪd/
having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
landlordnounUS /ˈlændlɔːrd/
a landowner who leases to others
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
go away from a place
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
the act of departing
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
property that is leased or rented out or let
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
not any; not one
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
by chance
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
proceedingsnounUS /proʊˈsiːdɪŋz/
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
reasonablyadverbUS /ˈriːzənəbli/
to certain extent or degree
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
recoververbUS /rɪˈkʌvər/
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
rentverbUS /rent/
let for money
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading The Temple.
tenantnounUS /ˈtenənt/
someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Temple.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
threatenverbUS /ˈθretən/
pose a threat to; present a danger to
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
precisely as stated
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
at the time that
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
belonging to which person
From this reading No one could possibly assert that a house whose drainage was out of order was fit for habitation; so that, if your landlord is ill-advised enough to bring an action against you, you need have no fear of the result.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It is all very well for the landlord to threaten Gerald with proceedings to recover his rent for the three weeks which you did _not_ stay at his house.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading There is an implied condition in the letting of a furnished house that it shall be reasonably fit for habitation; if it is not fit, the tenant may leave without notice.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading MY DEAR DOROTHY,—I was very sorry to hear that your holiday had commenced in such a disastrous manner; but you were quite justified in leaving the furnished house which you had taken for a month at the end of the first week, when you found that the drainage was in a defective condition.
