used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A WOMAN AVERSE TO MARRIAGE.
the state of being absent
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/
not being in a specified place
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
attackedverbUS /əˈtækt/
past form of “attack” — launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
AVERSEadjectiveUS /əˈvɜːrs/
(usually followed by “to”) strongly opposed
From this reading A WOMAN AVERSE TO MARRIAGE.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
the two together, not just one
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
constitutionnounUS /ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/
law determining the fundamental political principles of a government
From this reading Lady Estelle had outgrown her weakness of constitution.
Downsbury
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
DuchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
Estelle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Estelle had outgrown her weakness of constitution.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
highest in quality
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Lady Estelle had outgrown her weakness of constitution.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
keenestadjectiveUS /ˈkiːnəst/
superlative of “keen” — having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Lady Estelle had outgrown her weakness of constitution.
languornoun
a relaxed comfortable feeling
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
maladynounUS /ˈmælədi/
any unwholesome or desperate condition
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
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 For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading A WOMAN AVERSE TO MARRIAGE.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
outgrownverbUS /ˌaʊtˈɡroʊn/
inflected form of “outgrow” — grow too large or too mature for
From this reading Lady Estelle had outgrown her weakness of constitution.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
terminateverbUS /ˈtɜːrməneɪt/
bring to an end or halt
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A WOMAN AVERSE TO MARRIAGE.
uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
wastingnounUS /ˈweɪstɪŋ/
any general reduction in vitality and strength of body and mind resulting from a debilitating chronic disease
From this reading It was not so much a malady as a wasting of strength, an utter absence of all hope or energy, a strange languor that attacked both body and mind.
a flaw or weak point
From this reading Lady Estelle had outgrown her weakness of constitution.
belonging to which person
From this reading The Duke and Duchess of Downsbury had been so long absent from their home, that on their return they felt the greatest pleasure and keenest interest in every one whose name they remembered.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading A WOMAN AVERSE TO MARRIAGE.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
a late time of life
From this reading For many years it had been quite uncertain how her illness would terminate.
