used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
AbbeynounUS /ˈæbi/
a church associated with a monastery or convent
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
any thing at all
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
brought into existence
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
communicated in words
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
extinctionnounUS /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/
no longer active; extinguished
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
a social unit living together
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
grandfathersnounUS /ˈɡrændfɑːðərz/
plural of “grandfather” — the father of your father or mother
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
inquiriesnounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/
plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
not any; not one
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
not one, and not any
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
originnounUS /ˈɔːrədʒən/
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
by chance
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
predictverbUS /prɪˈdɪkt/
make a prediction about; tell in advance
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
preservedadjectiveUS /prəˈzɜːrvd/
prevented from decaying or spoiling and prepared for future use
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
professedadjectiveUS /prəˈfest/
professing to be qualified
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
prophecynounUS /ˈprɒf.ə.si/
A prediction of what will happen in the future, often divinely or magically inspired.
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
recordsnounUS /rəˈkɔːrdz/
plural of “record” — anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
To recall to mind.
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
not in physical motion
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
express in words
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
tenantsnounUS /ˈtenənts/
plural of “tenant” — someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Old servants and old tenants of ours remember to have heard it from their fathers and grandfathers.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
tracedverbUS /treɪst/
past form of “trace” — follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
traditionsnounUS /trəˈdɪʃənz/
plural of “tradition” — an inherited pattern of thought or action
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I have heard of such a prophecy,” I answered, “but I never knew in what terms it was expressed.
at the time that
From this reading “No inquiries,” he went on, “have traced back that prophecy to the time when it was first made; none of our family records tell us anything of its origin.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
Wincot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You were born, I believe, in our county,” he said; “perhaps, therefore, you may have heard at some time of a curious old prophecy about our family, which is still preserved among the traditions of Wincot Abbey?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It professed to predict the extinction of your family, or something of that sort, did it not?”
