used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
acceleratedadjectiveUS /ækˈseləreɪtɪd/
speeded up, as of an academic course
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
adoptedadjectiveUS /əˈdɑːptɪd/
acquired as your own by free choice
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Reformations are slow--except when they're sudden.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
assetnounUS /ˈæset/
a useful or valuable quality
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
attendantnounUS /əˈtendənt/
someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
attentiveadjectiveUS /əˈtentɪv/
(often followed by “to”) giving care or attention
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
axenounUS /æks/
an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
consistentadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪstənt/
(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
apart from; not including
From this reading Reformations are slow--except when they're sudden.
expressiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspresɪv/
characterized by expression
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
firewood-chopping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
set up or found
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
highest in quality
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
historiesnounUS /ˈhɪstəriz/
plural of “history” — the aggregate of past events
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
individualsnounUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəlz/
plural of “individual” — a human being
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
instrumentnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənt/
a device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
judgingnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒɪŋ/
the cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
lessonsnounUS /ˈlesənz/
plural of “lesson” — a unit of instruction
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
limitedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/
small in range or scope
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
materiallyadverbUS /məˈtɪriəli/
with respect to material aspects
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
used to form the superlative
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
nationsnounUS /ˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “nation” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
phraseologynounUS /ˌfreɪziˈɔːlɔːdʒi/
the manner in which something is expressed in words
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
Reformations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reformations are slow--except when they're sudden.
reformernounUS /rɪˈfɔːrmər/
a disputant who advocates reform
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
reformersnounUS /rɪˈfɔːrmərz/
plural of “reformer” — a disputant who advocates reform
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
SallynounUS /ˈsæli/
witty remark
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Reformations are slow--except when they're sudden.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
spellsnounUS /spelz/
plural of “spell” — a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Reformations are slow--except when they're sudden.
a state of acute pain
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
carry out
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
TenacitynounUS /təˈnæsɪti/
persistent determination
From this reading Tenacity was William's greatest asset; when he adopted a line of action he "stayed with it," to use his own expressive phraseology.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
they're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reformations are slow--except when they're sudden.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
toilverbUS /tɔɪl/
work hard
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
the act of using
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
(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 Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
at the time that
From this reading Reformations are slow--except when they're sudden.
in or at the place that
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
William'snounUS /ˈwɪljəmz/
possessive form of “williams” — United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
in the company of; together with
From this reading William's acquaintance with the axe was limited to its use as an instrument for occasional spells of firewood-chopping: but at heart he was a reformer, and, unlike most reformers--judging them, of course, by the doubtful value of histories--he started upon himself.
the act of creating written works
From this reading Having found the place spoken of in the letter to Sally, where he could take night lessons in history, reading, and writing, William became an attentive and consistent attendant.
a late time of life
From this reading Some reformations--of individuals as well as nations--have followed upon years of effort, toil, and suffering: others have been materially accelerated by the use of the axe.
