used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
acceptancenounUS /ækˈseptəns/
the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
agedadjectiveUS /eɪdʒd/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
agitatedadjectiveUS /ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/
troubled emotionally and usually deeply
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
brutalitynounUS /bruːˈtæləti/
the trait of extreme cruelty
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
coalsnounUS /koʊlz/
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
cowpock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
without deviation
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
a social unit living together
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
farthingnounUS /ˈfɑːrðɪŋ/
a former British bronze coin worth a quarter of a penny
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
that which is pleasing or valuable or useful
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
hadn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
hardnessnounUS /ˈhɑːrdnəs/
the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
humilitynounUS /hjuːˈmɪlɪti/
a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
misfortunesnounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃənz/
plural of “misfortune” — unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
ninepencenoun
a coin worth nine pennies
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
pairint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
recognitionnounUS /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/
plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
sixpencenoun
a small coin of the United Kingdom worth six pennies; not minted since 1970
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
spunverbUS /spʌn/
inflected form of “spin” — revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
carry out
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
thumbnounUS /θʌm/
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
venerationnounUS /ˌvenərˈeɪʃən/
a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
precisely as stated
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
waiternounUS /ˈweɪtər/
a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If I didn't support a aged pairint, and a lovely sister,"--here the waiter was greatly agitated--"I wouldn't take a farthing.
(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 If I had a good place, and was treated well here, I should beg acceptance of a trifle, instead of taking of it.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
wittles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I live on broken wittles--and I sleep on the coals"--here the waiter burst into tears.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I was very much concerned for his misfortunes, and felt that any recognition short of ninepence would be mere brutality and hardness of heart, Therefore I gave him one of my three bright shillings, which he received with much humility and veneration, and spun up with his thumb, directly afterwards, to try the goodness of.
wouldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If I hadn't a family, and that family hadn't the cowpock," said the waiter, "I wouldn't take a sixpence.
