used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
AlexandernounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændər/
European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
annulledverbUS /ˈænəld/
inflected form of “annul” — declare invalid
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
compromisesnounUS /ˈkɑːmprəmaɪzɪz/
plural of “compromise” — a middle way between two extremes
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
degenerationnounUS /dɪˌdʒenərˈeɪʃən/
the process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
divisible by two
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
fednounUS /fed/
any federal law-enforcement officer
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
greednounUS /ɡriːd/
excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
plural of “habit” — an established custom
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
JuniornounUS /ˈdʒuːnjər/
term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
Lauderdale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
engage in
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
principlesnounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəlz/
plural of “principle” — a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
Ralston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
rigidadjectiveUS /ˈrɪdʒəd/
incapable of or resistant to bending
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
shrankverbUS /ʃræŋk/
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
stakenounUS /steɪk/
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
waveredverbUS /ˈweɪvərd/
past form of “waver” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading The man’s pride shrank away before it, and even his rigid principles wavered.
the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A moral degeneration had begun in him, which might go far in the end.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He began to make those compromises with his conscience which circumstances suggested, and he forced his religious habits to help in doing the dirty work of his greed.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading The letter Alexander Lauderdale Junior had written to Ralston will have given some idea of what he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of having the will annulled.
a late time of life
From this reading The passion he had so long tried to conceal, with considerable success, and which had fed for many years on a small object, was stirred up and set at large by the enormous wealth now at stake.
