1928
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
1948
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading On the contrary he made a very bad one.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
BritainnounUS /ˈbrɪtən/
a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; “Great Britain” is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
celebratedadjectiveUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
celebratingverbUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “celebrate” — behave as expected during of holidays or rites
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading On the contrary he made a very bad one.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading Mrs. Brown was celebrating it by having a whist drive, and William was celebrating it by having influenza.
Ethel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
Fakenham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
a social unit living together
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Mrs. Brown was celebrating it by having a whist drive, and William was celebrating it by having influenza.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
holidaysnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
influenzanounUS /ˌɪnfluːˈenzə/
an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease
From this reading Mrs. Brown was celebrating it by having a whist drive, and William was celebrating it by having influenza.
invalidnounUS /ˈɪnvələd/
someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or injury
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
immediately past
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
LimitedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/
small in range or scope
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Brown was celebrating it by having a whist drive, and William was celebrating it by having influenza.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
NineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the eighteenth in position
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading On the contrary he made a very bad one.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
pretendverbUS /priˈtend/
make believe with the intent to deceive
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
past form of “print” — put into print
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
prepared and printed for distribution and sale
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
precisely as stated
From this reading On the contrary he made a very bad one.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Ethel and her friends were celebrating it by getting up a play which was to be acted before the village on Christmas Eve.
whistnoun
a card game for four players who form two partnerships; a pack of 52 cards is dealt and each side scores one point for each trick it takes in excess of six
From this reading Mrs. Brown was celebrating it by having a whist drive, and William was celebrating it by having influenza.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Though William is my hero, I will not pretend that he made a good invalid.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Brown was celebrating it by having a whist drive, and William was celebrating it by having influenza.
Wyman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Published 1928 Nineteenth Impression 1948_ _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London, Fakenham and Reading._ The Christmas holidays had arrived at last and were being celebrated by the Brown family in various ways.
