used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
AbbeynounUS /ˈæbi/
a church associated with a monastery or convent
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
acresnounUS /ˈeɪkərz/
extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
Ainsleigh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
anguishnounUS /ˈæŋɡwɪʃ/
extreme mental distress
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
eagerly desirous
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
BristolnounUS /ˈbrɪstəl/
an industrial city and port in southwestern England near the mouth of the River Avon
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
consultationsnounUS /ˌkɑːnsəlˈteɪʃənz/
plural of “consultation” — a conference (usually with someone important)
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
departverbUS /dɪˈpɑːrt/
move away from a place into another direction
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
estatesnounUS /ɪˈsteɪts/
plural of “estate” — everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
divisible by two
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
at any time
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
frequentverbUS /ˈfriːkwənt/
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
homelessnounUS /ˈhoʊmləs/
someone unfortunate without housing
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
lawyersnounUS /ˈlɔːjərz/
plural of “lawyer” — a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
held dear
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
mansionnounUS /ˈmænʃən/
(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
not any; not one
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
on one occasion
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
not used up
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
RupertnounUS /ˈruːpərt/
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
cut with a saw
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
for a short time
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading How could he let these things depart from him, for ever?
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading One day, shortly before the ball at the Bristol, he returned from town with a melancholy face.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
venerableadjectiveUS /ˈvenərəbəl/
impressive by reason of age
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
a message informing of danger
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
at the time that
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
wrungverbUS /rʌŋ/
inflected form of “wring” — twist and press out of shape
From this reading Even if his home had been an ordinary house, he would have been anxious; but when he thought of the venerable mansion, of the few acres remaining, of the once vast Ainsleigh estates, of the ruins of the Abbey which he loved, his heart was wrung with anguish.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading THE WARNING The idea that the end of the year would see him ruined and homeless was terrible to Rupert.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet he saw no way out of the matter, although he had frequent consultations with his lawyers.
