used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
absorbingadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
bookedadjectiveUS /bʊkt/
reserved in advance
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
the two together, not just one
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
CollinsnounUS /ˈkɑːlɪnz/
English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
dearly loved
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
deliciousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪʃəs/
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
diningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/
the act of eating dinner
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
having made preparations
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
opinion or judgment
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
Fairfax
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
set up or found
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
GilbertnounUS /ˈɡɪlbərt/
a unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
and nothing more
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
of an obscure nature
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
operanounUS /ˈɑːprə/
a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
permanentlyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrmənəntli/
for a long time without essential change
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
refreshingadjectiveUS /rɪˈfreʃɪŋ/
imparting vitality and energy
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
soothnoun
truth or reality
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
SullivannounUS /ˈsʌləvən/
United States architect known for his steel framed skyscrapers and for coining the phrase “form follows function” (1856-1924)
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
create by training and teaching
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
tunesnounUS /tuːnz/
plural of “tune” — a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
precisely as stated
From this reading After the excitement of his daily life, he found these plays, which he knew almost by heart, very refreshing.
vintagenounUS /ˈvɪntɪdʒ/
a season's yield of wine from a vineyard
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading A Mysterious Visit By dining on the train, Collins had just time to do a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “It is easier to die well than to live well, for in sooth I have tried both,” says Colonel Fairfax.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had a seat permanently booked, which was to be disposed of if he did not turn up in time.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
YeomannounUS /ˈjoʊmən/
officer in the (ceremonial) bodyguard of the British monarch
From this reading It was the dear old ‘Yeoman of the Guard’ this night, and he lay back and listened with his eyes half shut, absorbing the delicious tunes like a rare old vintage.
