used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A RIFT IN THE CLOUDS.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
AndrewsnounUS /ˈændruːz/
United States naturalist who contributed to paleontology and geology (1884-1960)
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
bravelyadverbUS /ˈbreɪvli/
in a courageous manner
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading A RIFT IN THE CLOUDS.
colonynounUS /ˈkɑːləni/
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
complacentlyadverbUS /kəmˈpleɪsəntli/
in a self-satisfied manner
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
complaintnounUS /kəmˈpleɪnt/
an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
contradictionnounUS /ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪkʃən/
opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
frailadjectiveUS /freɪl/
physically weak
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
gayeties
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A RIFT IN THE CLOUDS.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
lingeredverbUS /ˈlɪŋɡərd/
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
MollienounUS /ˈmɑːli/
popular aquarium fish
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
not any; not one
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
by chance
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
RIFTnounUS /rɪft/
a gap between cloud masses
From this reading A RIFT IN THE CLOUDS.
routinenounUS /ruːˈtiːn/
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
sadnessnounUS /ˈsædnəs/
emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A RIFT IN THE CLOUDS.
a special situation
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
VortexnounUS /ˈvɔːrteks/
the shape of something rotating rapidly
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The gayeties of the summer were a thing of the past, and the little colony of girls had settled down into the old routine of life, "exactly as we used to before the _Vortex_ came," Mollie Andrews said complacently.
in the company of; together with
From this reading September with its bright, warm days and cool nights was at hand.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Jean faced her trouble bravely and without complaint, but the effort told on her as the days passed by, and she grew frail and slender, and an expression of deep sadness lingered in her soft eyes; but the change in her took place so slowly, so gradually, that no one seemed to be aware of it.
but in spite of that
From this reading No voice was raised in contradiction, and yet, perhaps no heart quite echoed the sentiment.
