used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
anew
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
(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 cramped him all over; body and soul.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It cramped him all over; body and soul.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If he had?--what would have been the result?
highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading It cramped him all over; body and soul.
the two together, not just one
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
Carlyon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
crampedadjectiveUS /kræmpt/
constricted in size
From this reading It cramped him all over; body and soul.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
one or the other of two
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
garbnounUS /ɡɑːrb/
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
groanedverbUS /ɡroʊnd/
past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
only a very short time before
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If he had?--what would have been the result?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It cramped him all over; body and soul.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
a sacred place of pilgrimage
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If he had?--what would have been the result?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It cramped him all over; body and soul.
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 And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
knight'snounUS /naɪts/
possessive form of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
LancenounUS /læns/
a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
LancelotnounUS /ˈlænsəlɑːt/
(Arthurian legend) one of the knights of the Round Table; friend of King Arthur until (according to some versions of the legend) he became the lover of Arthur's wife Guinevere
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
something that is lost
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
love-loyal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
namesakenounUS /ˈneɪmseɪk/
a person with the same name as another
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It cramped him all over; body and soul.
phrasenounUS /freɪz/
an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
PIVOTSnounUS /ˈpɪvəts/
plural of “pivot” — the person in a rank around whom the others wheel and maneuver
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
racedverbUS /reɪst/
past form of “race” — move hurridly
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading If he had?--what would have been the result?
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
term of address for a man
From this reading "_So groaned Sir Lancelot--not knowing he should die a holy man_."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading It cramped him all over; body and soul.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
swearingnounUS /ˈswerɪŋ/
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
in a swift manner
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
a sudden outburst of anger
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
TennysonnounUS /ˈtenɪsən/
Englishman and Victorian poet (1809-1892)
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
a special situation
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
tickledverbUS /ˈtɪkəld/
past form of “tickle” — touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
vanishing-point
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
be dressed in
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
(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 And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading If he had?--what would have been the result?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And then--for he knew his Tennyson well, as one of his name could hardly fail to do--his memory raced swiftly over the love-loyal knight's career; until suddenly he laughed at a phrase which had always tickled him.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
but in spite of that
From this reading THE PIVOTS OF LIFE Lance Carlyon was not, as a rule, given either to loss of spirits or temper, yet both were at vanishing-point as he flung off the garb of his namesake of the lake; swearing as he did so that he would never wear the blessed thing again.
