used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/
not being in a specified place
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
anew
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
assumptionnounUS /əˈsʌmpʃən/
a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
attendancenounUS /əˈtendəns/
the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.)
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
BaldwinnounUS /ˈbɔːldwən/
United States author who was an outspoken critic of racism (1924-1987)
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
balloonnounUS /bəˈluːn/
large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
childishnessnoun
a property characteristic of a child
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
compulsoryadjectiveUS /kəmˈpʌlsəri/
required by rule
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
deceiveverbUS /dɪˈsiːv/
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
Derwent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
without deviation
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
drudgerynounUS /ˈdrʌdʒəri/
hard monotonous routine work
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
apart from; not including
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
FORTUNATUS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
Gobert's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
Holborn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
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 But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
morallyadverbUS /ˈmɔːrəli/
with respect to moral principles
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
nailedverbUS /neɪld/
past form of “nail” — attach something somewhere by means of nails
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
absolutely essential
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
not any; not one
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
obligatoryadjectiveUS /əˈblɪɡətɔːri/
morally or legally constraining or binding
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
an amount of time
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
persuadeverbUS /pərˈsweɪd/
win approval or support for
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
prickverbUS /prɪk/
make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
regattanounUS /rɪˈɡɑːtə/
a meeting for boat races
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
slackest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
solemnities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
Sonning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
StuartnounUS /ˈstuːərt/
United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Derwent had taken a needed holiday in May, directly following the prick of Gobert’s balloon, and was now back again at his post.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Business was at its slackest; and Stuart could no more persuade himself that he was morally necessary, than that his attendance was compulsory.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
plural of “trouble” — a source of difficulty
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
at the time that
From this reading Baldwin ran up most days from Sonning, except when solemnities of regatta nailed him to the spot.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But placed as he was, it would have been mere childishness to deceive himself with an assumption that he was not perfectly free to absent himself from Holborn for as long a period as he pleased.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
wrestedverbUS /ˈrestɪd/
past form of “wrest” — obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically
From this reading FORTUNATUS If Stuart had been a poor man, and forced to continue drudgery whatever his troubles of love, he would have wrested a certain comfort from the obligatory effort.
