used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
actsnounUS /ækts/
a New Testament book describing the development of the early church from Christ's Ascension to Paul's sojourn at Rome
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
(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 Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
appreciatedadjectiveUS /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/
fully understood or grasped
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading Goldsmith was soon made aware of this.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
comedynounUS /ˈkɑːmədi/
light and humorous drama with a happy ending
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
complicationsnounUS /ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃənz/
plural of “complication” — the act or process of complicating
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
dialoguenounUS /ˈdaɪəlɔːɡ/
a conversation between two persons
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
effectiveadjectiveUS /ɪˈfektɪv/
producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
enduredverbUS /enˈdjʊrd/
past form of “endure” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
at any time
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
exquisiteadjectiveUS /ˈekskwəzət/
intense or sharp
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
GoldsmithnounUS /ˈɡoʊldsmɪθ/
an artisan who makes jewelry and other objects out of gold
From this reading Goldsmith was soon made aware of this.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
gratificationnounUS /ˌɡrætəfəˈkeɪʃən/
state of being gratified or satisfied
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
Hard-castle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
highwaymannoun
a holdup man who stops a vehicle and steals from it
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
innumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/
too numerous to be counted
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
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 The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
the sound of laughing
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
the sound of laughing
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
Lumpkin's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Goldsmith was soon made aware of this.
used to form the superlative
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
objectless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Goldsmith was soon made aware of this.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
participate in games or sport
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
playgoers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
pretendingnounUS /priˈtendɪŋ/
the act of giving a false appearance
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
rapturenounUS /ˈræptʃər/
a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
in the near future
From this reading Goldsmith was soon made aware of this.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Goldsmith was soon made aware of this.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
Tony
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
touchesnounUS /ˈtʌtʃəz/
plural of “touch” — the event of something coming in contact with the body
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
communicated in words
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a lie, and surely the most cruel and most objectless lie ever uttered.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
which person or people
From this reading The laughter that followed Tony Lumpkin's pretending to his mother that Mr. Hard-castle was a highwayman was not the laugh of playgoers who have endured four acts of a dull play; it was the laugh of people who have been in a good humour for over two hours, and Goldsmith knew it.
belonging to which person
From this reading Every point in the dialogue was effective--the exquisite complications, the broad fun, the innumerable touches of nature, all were appreciated by an audience whose expression of gratification fell little short of rapture.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He perceived from their laughter that the people in every part of the house were following the comedy with extraordinary interest.
