used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
(sentence connectors) because of the reason given
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
matters of personal concern
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
(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 The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
anticipationnounUS /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/
an expectation
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
awaitedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪtɪd/
expected hopefully
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
ballsnounUS /bɔːlz/
plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
for the reason that
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
betaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
carnivalnounUS /ˈkɑːrnəvəl/
a festival marked by merrymaking and processions
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
climatenounUS /ˈklaɪmət/
the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
put on clothes
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
enactedverbUS /eˈnæktəd/
past form of “enact” — order by virtue of superior authority; decree
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
enthusiasticadjectiveUS /ɪnˌθuːziˈæstɪk/
having or showing great excitement and interest
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
the organ of sight
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
fascinatingadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
something regarded with special favor or liking
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
festivitiesnounUS /feˈstɪvətiz/
plural of “festivity” — any joyous diversion
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
a person of German nationality
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
inflamedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈfleɪmd/
resulting from inflammation; hot and swollen and reddened
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
keeneradjectiveUS /ˈkiːnər/
comparative of “keen” — having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
Lionel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
maskedadjectiveUS /mæskt/
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
on one occasion
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
participateverbUS /pɑːrˈtɪsəpeɪt/
share in something
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
go across or through
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
pleasure-loving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
predilectionnounUS /ˌpredəˈlekʃən/
a predisposition in favor of something
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
premisesnounUS /ˈpreməsəz/
land and the buildings on it
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
prolongedadjectiveUS /prəˈlɔːŋd/
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
reigningadjectiveUS /ˈreɪnɪŋ/
exercising power or authority
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
repineverb
express discontent
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
sovereignadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːv.rən/
Possessing supreme or ultimate power; autonomous and commanding.
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
Stracheynoun
English biographer and leading member of the Bloomsbury Group (1880-1932)
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
carry out
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
traditionallyadverbUS /trəˈdɪʃənəli/
according to tradition; in a traditional manner
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
TranslatedverbUS /trænzˈleɪtɪd/
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
unmixedadjectiveUS /ənˈmɪkst/
not mixed with extraneous elements
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
accept gladly
From this reading But at this I did not repine, for to pass a winter in a beautiful climate and amid the fascinating society of a court seemed a welcome change to my enthusiastic, pleasure-loving young soul.
(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 In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The reigning sovereign had a predilection for masked balls,--a traditionally favorite amusement at the palace, I was told--and accordingly several fancy dress festivities were enacted on the royal premises during the carnival.
at the time that
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The first I was unable to participate in because of an inflamed eye, and therefore awaited the second with all the keener anticipation.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In those days politics would take strange turns, not of unmixed delight, and so it happened that my mission was prolonged well into the winter, and kept me at X. until the carnival season.
XnounUS /eks/
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Translated from the German by Lionel Strachey When I was a young man I once made a foreign journey, betaking myself to the royal court of X. on affairs of state.
