used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
affluencenounUS /ˈæfluːəns/
abundant wealth
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
how long something has existed
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
childlessadjectiveUS /ˈtʃaɪldləs/
without offspring
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
cordialadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrdʒəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Why, that's the very thing," cried Edward.
recognizable; marked
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading "Why, that's the very thing," cried Edward.
EmigrationnounUS /ˌeməˈɡreɪʃən/
migration from a place (especially migration from your native country in order to settle in another)
From this reading "Emigration!
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
judgingnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒɪŋ/
the cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
kinsfolknoun
people descended from a common ancestor
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
and nothing more
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
squatternounUS /ˈskwɑːtər/
someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
that's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, that's the very thing," cried Edward.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Why, that's the very thing," cried Edward.
a special situation
From this reading "Why, that's the very thing," cried Edward.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Why, that's the very thing," cried Edward.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
accept gladly
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What a fool I was not to have thought of it myself."
which person or people
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, that's the very thing," cried Edward.
widowernounUS /ˈwɪdoʊər/
a man whose wife is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading Old James wrote a letter to his brother, who was evidently a squatter of considerable affluence and who, judging by the cordial tone of the only letter he had written, would be glad in his old age, being a childless widower, to welcome his kinsfolk from England.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading It was decided to give up the farm at Christmas and to sail as early as possible in the New Year.
