used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
have
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
befellverbUS /bɪˈfel/
inflected form of “befall” — become of; happen to
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
brooknounUS /brʊk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
performance of moral or religious acts
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
describingverbUS /dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ/
-ing form of “describe” — give a description of
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
eclipsedverbUS /ɪˈklɪpst/
past form of “eclipse” — be greater in significance than
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
eclipsesnounUS /ɪˈklɪpsɪz/
plural of “eclipse” — one celestial body obscures another
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
the male ruler of an empire
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
divisible by two
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
accept an excuse for
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
GROSBOIS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
impressionsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃənz/
plural of “impression” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
a room where books are kept
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
memoirsnounUS /ˈmemwɑːrz/
plural of “memoir” — an account of the author's personal experiences
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
MillverbUS /mɪl/
move about in a confused manner
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
used to form the superlative
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
oppositionnounUS /ˌɑːpəˈzɪʃən/
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
unusual or striking
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
not in physical motion
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
express in words
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
traditionsnounUS /trəˈdɪʃənz/
plural of “tradition” — an inherited pattern of thought or action
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
which person or people
From this reading THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which might have been of some interest in themselves had I not introduced the figure of the Emperor, who has eclipsed them all as completely as the sun eclipses the stars.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
in the company of; together with
From this reading You must bear with me now while I tell you of our expedition to the Red Mill and of what befell in the library of Grosbois.
withersnounUS /ˈwɪðərz/
the highest part of the back at the base of the neck of various animals especially draft animals
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
the words that are spoken
From this reading As I draw his words and his deeds I feel that my own poor story withers before them.
a late time of life
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet if it had not been for that story I should not have had an excuse for describing to you my first and most vivid impressions of him, and so it has served a purpose after all.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Even now, you see, after all these years, in an old man's memoirs, the Emperor is still true to his traditions, and will not brook any opposition.
