used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
accompanyverbUS /əˈkʌmpəni/
be present or associated with an event or entity
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
Alice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
Alice's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
beguiledadjectiveUS /bɪˈɡaɪld/
filled with wonder and delight
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
blind-born
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
Bothwell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
make calm or still
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
a large and stately mansion
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
a young person of either sex
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
createdverbUS /kriˈeɪtəd/
past form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
customaryadjectiveUS /ˈkʌstəmeri/
in accordance with convention or custom
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading He lived in daily expectation of release by the Queen’s own authority.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
devoidadjectiveUS /dɪˈvɔɪd/
completely wanting or lacking
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
disturbancenounUS /dɪˈstɜːrbəns/
activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
doomverbUS /duːm/
decree or designate beforehand
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
durancenoun
imprisonment (especially for a long time)
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
EdinburghnounUS /ˈedənbəroʊ/
the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
expectationnounUS /ˌekspekˈteɪʃən/
belief about (or mental picture of) the future
From this reading He lived in daily expectation of release by the Queen’s own authority.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
humilitynounUS /hjuːˈmɪlɪti/
a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
imprisonmentnounUS /ˌɪmˈprɪzənmənt/
putting someone in prison or in jail as lawful punishment
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
the sound of laughing
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
learn'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading He lived in daily expectation of release by the Queen’s own authority.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
motivesnounUS /ˈmoʊtɪvz/
plural of “motive” — the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
not any; not one
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He lived in daily expectation of release by the Queen’s own authority.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
Queen'snounUS /kwiːnz/
possessive form of “queen” — the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading He lived in daily expectation of release by the Queen’s own authority.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
releaseverbUS /riˈliːs/
release, as from one's grip
From this reading He lived in daily expectation of release by the Queen’s own authority.
resistverbUS /rɪˈzɪst/
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
rigours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
submissionnounUS /səbˈmɪʃən/
something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition)
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
temporaryadjectiveUS /ˈtempəreri/
not permanent; not lasting
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
a just detectable amount
From this reading ‘Oh! better for me that a blind-born child Never a line I had learn’d to trace, Than thus by a look and a laugh beguiled, To have read my doom in fair Alice’s face.
UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
not expected or anticipated
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
wardnounUS /wɔːrd/
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
wardennounUS /ˈwɔːr.dən/
The chief official or governor in charge of a prison institution.
From this reading The warden made no effort to escape, although he had a strong party of friends about the Court, and might at any time have created considerable disturbance had he chosen to resist the royal authority; but he bowed his head to the blast with unexpected humility, and a submission, the result of mixed motives.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
in or at the place that
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
in the company of; together with
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
but in spite of that
From this reading So Bothwell was committed to ward in Edinburgh Castle, yet was his durance but of a temporary nature, and devoid of the customary rigours that accompany imprisonment.
yews
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘And better for me to have made my bed Under the yews where my fathers sleep, Calm and quiet, at rest with the dead, Than have given my heart to fair Alice to keep.’
