used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
BrontenounUS /ˈbrɑːnti/
English novelist; youngest of three Bronte sisters (1820-1849)
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
Brontes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
casualadjectiveUS /ˈkæʒəwəl/
marked by blithe unconcern
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
a period of 100 years
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
classesnounUS /ˈklæsəz/
plural of “class” — a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
customsnounUS /ˈkʌstəmz/
money collected under a tariff
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
depictedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɪktəd/
represented graphically by sketch or design or lines
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
DickensnounUS /ˈdɪkənz/
a word used in exclamations of confusion
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
DisraelinounUS /dɪzˈreɪli/
British statesman who as Prime Minister bought controlling interest in the Suez Canal and made Queen Victoria the empress of India (1804-1881)
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
elementsnounUS /ˈeləmənts/
violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
exponentsnounUS /ɪkˈspoʊnənts/
plural of “exponent” — a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/
a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
set up or found
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
GaskellnounUS /ˈɡæskəl/
English writer who is remembered for her biography of Charlotte Bronte (1810-1865)
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
half-frowning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
HaworthnounUS /ˈhæwərθ/
English biochemist who was a pioneer in research on carbohydrates; when he synthesized vitamin C he became the first person to synthesize a vitamin artificially (1883-1950)
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
largelyadverbUS /ˈlɑːrdʒli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
engage in
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
social deportment
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
moorsnounUS /mʊrz/
plural of “moor” — one of the Muslim people of north Africa; of mixed Arab and Berber descent; converted to Islam in the 8th century; conqueror of Spain in the 8th century
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the eighteenth in position
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/
impressive in appearance
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
novelsnounUS /ˈnɑːvəlz/
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
observantadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvənt/
paying close attention especially to details
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
observernounUS /əbˈzɜːrvər/
a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
the local environment
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
prosaicadjectiveUS /proʊˈzeɪɪk/
not fanciful or imaginative
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
realisticadjectiveUS /ˌriːəˈlɪstɪk/
aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
romanticadjectiveUS /roʊˈmæntɪk/
belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the Romantic Movement in the arts
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
romanticismnounUS /roʊˈmæntəsɪzəm/
impractical romantic ideals and attitudes
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
sportingadjectiveUS /ˈspɔːrtɪŋ/
exhibiting or calling for sportsmanship or fair play
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
suggestverbUS /səˈdʒest/
make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
surroundsnounUS /sərˈaʊndz/
plural of “surround” — the area in which something exists or lives
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
ThackeraynounUS /ˈθækəri/
English writer (born in India) (1811-1863)
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Brontes During the middle of the nineteenth century, English fiction largely depicted manners and customs of different classes and different parts of England.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
vicaragenoun
an official residence provided by a church for its parson or vicar or rector
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
weirdadjectiveUS /wɪrd/
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
Westmoreland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
WharfnounUS /wɔːrf/
a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading It is a serious country, that of the Wharf valley; the people are a serious people, silent and observant.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The purple moors stretching away behind the grey stone vicarage, the grey sky, and the sun always half-frowning, and never sporting with nature here as it does over the mountains in Westmoreland, make thought earnest and deep, and suggest the mystery which surrounds human life.
the act of creating written works
From this reading While Dickens, Thackeray, Disraeli, and Mrs. Gaskell were writing realistic novels, romantic fiction found noble exponents in the Bronte sisters.
YorkshirenounUS /ˈjɔːrkʃər/
a former large county in northern England; in 1974 it was divided into three smaller counties
From this reading The quiet life lived by the Brontes in the vicarage on the edge of the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire seems prosaic to the casual observer, but it had many weird elements of romanticism.
