used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
abilitiesnounUS /əˈbɪlətiːz/
plural of “ability” — the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
apatheticadjectiveUS /ˌæpəˈθetɪk/
showing little or no emotion or animation
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
averageadjectiveUS /ˈævərɪdʒ/
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
boredadjectiveUS /bɔːrd/
tired of the world
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
Cecil's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
confrontedverbUS /kənˈfrʌntəd/
past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The day was dark and depressing.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The day was dark and depressing.
depressingadjectiveUS /dɪˈpresɪŋ/
causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
From this reading The day was dark and depressing.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
exteriornounUS /ɪkˈstɪriər/
the region that is outside of something
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
furiousadjectiveUS /ˈfjʊriəs/
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
gallerynounUS /ˈɡæləri/
spectators at a golf or tennis match
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
icyadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsi/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
illustriousadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
inspiredadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈspaɪərd/
being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
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 It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
engage in
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/
any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
not any; not one
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
novicenounUS /ˈnɑːvəs/
someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
ParliamentariansnounUS /ˌpɑːrləmenˈteriənz/
plural of “parliamentarian” — an elected member of the British Parliament: a member of the House of Commons
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
recognisedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/
provided with a secure reputation
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
rowsnounUS /roʊz/
plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
SessionnounUS /ˈseʃən/
a meeting for execution of a group's functions
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
for a short time
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
sportsmannounUS /ˈspɔːrtsmən/
someone who engages in sports
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
the act of testing something
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
veteransnounUS /ˈvetərənz/
plural of “veteran” — a serviceman who has seen considerable active service
From this reading Those long rows of faces had never looked more apathetic; it was enough to make a novice feel, as he rose and confronted the bored old veterans, that he was on trial for his life.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was not long before Cecil’s abilities were recognised.
at the time that
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When the time came for him to make his first speech, shortly before the end of the Session, Lee sat in the gallery with an icy exterior surrounding a furious nerve storm.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Something was expected of him, for he came of a line of able Parliamentarians; and as he was already famous as a sportsman, he commanded an interest by no means inspired by the average young man of an illustrious house.
