used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
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 Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Further back than that--darkness.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
boot-black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
CiviladjectiveUS /ˈsɪvəl/
applying to ordinary citizens as contrasted with the military
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
clergymennounUS /ˈklɜːrdʒimɪn/
plural of “clergyman” — a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Further back than that--darkness.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/
your usual mood
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
divisible by two
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
at any time
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
evincedverbUS /ɪˈvɪnst/
past form of “evince” — give expression to
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
plural of “family” — a social unit living together
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
a social unit living together
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
FlemishnounUS /ˈflemɪʃ/
an ethnic group speaking Flemish and living in northern and western Belgium
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading Further back than that--darkness.
Ganos
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
the act of departing
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
grubnounUS /ɡrʌb/
informal terms for a meal
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
home-keeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
HuguenotnounUS /ˈhjuːɡənɑːt/
a French Calvinist of the 16th or 17th centuries
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
ten 10s
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
of the present time and place
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
IndiesnounUS /ˈɪndiz/
plural of “indie” — a pop group not affiliated with a major record company
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
merchantsnounUS /ˈmɜːrtʃənts/
plural of “merchant” — a businessperson engaged in retail trade
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
and nothing more
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
originnounUS /ˈɔːrədʒən/
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
plantersnounUS /ˈplæntərz/
plural of “planter” — the owner or manager of a plantation
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
pretendedadjectiveUS /priˈtendɪd/
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
progenitornounUS /proʊˈdʒenɪtər/
an ancestor in the direct line
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
prospectornounUS /ˈprɔːspektər/
someone who explores an area for mineral deposits
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
any competition
From this reading Only one of the race ever evinced the least disposition to care.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
stakenounUS /steɪk/
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Further back than that--darkness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Further back than that--darkness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
a just detectable amount
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
at the time that
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Whether the name was of Huguenot, Flemish, Italian, or other origin, the Ganos themselves, like thousands of families of consequence in America, never pretended to know.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading It is not always easy to trace the origin of an American family, even when the immediate progenitor did not begin life as a boot-black or a prospector, without so much as a "grub stake."
a late time of life
From this reading The Ganos had been people of some education and some means--clergymen, merchants going to and from the West Indies, or home-keeping planters in the South--for the little space of a hundred years before the Civil War.
