Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

(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 Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At St. Jean Pied de Port he was more at home.

a member of a people of unknown origin living in the western Pyrenees in France and Spain

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

an occurrence of something

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

for the most part

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

divisible by two

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

apart from; not including

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

plural of “foreigner” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

a region of southwestern France

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

plural of “grandmother” — the mother of your father or mother

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading At St. Jean Pied de Port he was more at home.

deeply or markedly affected or influenced

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

freedom from vanity or conceit

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading At St. Jean Pied de Port he was more at home.

plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

not any; not one

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

a former province of northwestern France on the English channel; divided into Haute-Normandie and Basse-Normandie

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

on one occasion

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous)

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

A person who does not belong to a particular group or community; a stranger.

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

a Basque or Spanish game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racket

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

participate in games or sport

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

playfully vexing (especially by ridicule)

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

any competition

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

express in words

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

a general conscious awareness

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

plural of “spaniard” — a native or inhabitant of Spain

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

in or at that place or location

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Not even his modesty was recognized; and, in his grand tour, no one was impressed by all that he was, except once.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He was, in a sense, a foreigner among foreigners there, and the people were not quizzical, since he was an outsider in any case and not a native returned, as he had been in Normandy.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He learned to play pelota, the Basque game taken from the Spaniards, and he even allowed himself a little of that oratory which, as they say, has its habitat chiefly in Gascony.

which person or people

From this reading An ancestor, a grandmother of his, had come from the Basque country; and so down to St. Jean Pied de Port he went; for he came of a race who set great store by mothers and grandmothers.