Chapter V

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

From this reading His ancestors had fought at Cressy, and at Hastings.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

plural of “association” — a formal organization of people or groups of people

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His ancestors had fought at Cressy, and at Hastings.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

plural of “cedar” — any of numerous trees of the family Cupressaceae that resemble cedars

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His ancestors had fought at Cressy, and at Hastings.

plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading IN DIFFICULTIES.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

a social unit living together

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

widely known and esteemed

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading His ancestors had fought at Cressy, and at Hastings.

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading His ancestors had fought at Cressy, and at Hastings.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

United States architect who formed and important architectural firm with John Merven Carrere (1860-1929)

From this reading His ancestors had fought at Cressy, and at Hastings.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading IN DIFFICULTIES.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A very great man was the Earl of Lackland.

plural of “midland” — a town in west central Texas

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

not any; not one

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

another word for person; a person not meriting identification

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Lackland Hall was an immense place in the Midlands, a grand old house, with famous associations.

the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

not wise in the ways of the world

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

precisely as stated

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A very great man was the Earl of Lackland.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

widely or fully known

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.

in the company of; together with

From this reading To the unsophisticated inhabitants of the little seacoast village the Mildmays of the Park, and the Dodsons of the Cedars, were very great folk, indeed, but we have now to do with far greater, with no less a personage and family, indeed, than the well-known Earl of Lackland and his children.