used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
agentnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənt/
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
customaryadjectiveUS /ˈkʌstəmeri/
in accordance with convention or custom
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
expectationnounUS /ˌekspekˈteɪʃən/
belief about (or mental picture of) the future
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
explainingverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
farmsnounUS /fɑːrmz/
plural of “farm” — workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
laboriousadjectiveUS /ləˈbɔːriəs/
characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
MarquisnounUS /ˌmɑːrˈkiː/
humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
come together
From this reading It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
Merridrew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
motor-bicycle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
not any; not one
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
optimismnounUS /ˈɑːptəmɪzəm/
the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
proceedingnounUS /prəˈsiːdɪŋ/
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
purposelessadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrpəsləs/
not evidencing any purpose or goal
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
relapseverbUS /riˈlæps/
deteriorate in health
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
repairsnounUS /rɪˈperz/
plural of “repair” — the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
riddenverbUS /ˈrɪdən/
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
a quantity of money
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
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 It will be a great pleasure for me to meet my tenants in any way possible.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The former, for no particular reason, was enjoying a slight relapse into his customary optimism.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
which person or people
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Marquis, with several account books and Mr. Merridrew, who had ridden over from his office on a motor-bicycle, had settled down to a laborious evening.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "I am not without expectation," the Marquis commenced by explaining to his agent, "that at the end of the next two months I may find myself in possession of a large sum of money.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Under those circumstances, it will not be a purposeless proceeding to work out what is really required in the way of repairs on the various farms.
