adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
abstractverbUS /æbˈstrækt/
consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
amountnounUS /əˈmaʊnt/
a quantity of money
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an intensely characteristic document.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
appearverbUS /əˈpɪr/
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
burdennounUS /ˈbɜːrdən/
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
calculatedadjectiveUS /ˈkælkjəleɪtɪd/
carefully thought out in advance
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading It was an intensely characteristic document.
checkverbUS /tʃek/
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
clerknounUS /klɜːrk/
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
correspondentnounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndənt/
someone who communicates by means of letters
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
dealverbUS /diːl/
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
documentnounUS /ˈdɑːkjəment/
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading It was an intensely characteristic document.
downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/
extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
expenditurenounUS /ɪkˈspendətʃər/
money paid out; an amount spent
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
expensesnounUS /ɪkˈspensəz/
plural of “expense” — amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
increasingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/
becoming greater or larger
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
indicatedverbUS /ˈɪndəkeɪtəd/
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
instructionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/
a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
intenselyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtensli/
to a high degree; extremely; in high concentration or density
From this reading It was an intensely characteristic document.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was an intensely characteristic document.
knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/
apprehended with certainty
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
lessadverbUS /les/
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
mercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
messenger's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
nicetynounUS /ˈnaɪsɪti/
conformity with some esthetic standard of correctness or propriety
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
pencenounUS /pens/
plural of “penny” — a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
Playmore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
reducedadjectiveUS /rəˈduːst/
made less in size or amount or degree
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
remorselesslyadverb
without pity; in a merciless manner
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/
plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/
to a small degree or extent
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The same evening I received my “abstract” by the hands of a clerk.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
unfortunateadjectiveUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənət/
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was an intensely characteristic document.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading My expenses were remorselessly calculated downward to shillings and even to pence; and our unfortunate messenger’s instructions in respect to his expenditure were reduced to a nicety which must have made his life in America nothing less than a burden to him.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I ought to have better known the correspondent whom I had to deal with.
wroteverbUS /roʊt/
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading In mercy to the man, I took the liberty, when I wrote back to Mr. Playmore, of slightly increasing the indicated amount of the figures which were to appear on the check.
