used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
Arina
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
artificialadjectiveUS /ˌɑːrtəˈfɪʃəl/
contrived by art rather than nature
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
BloodsuckernounUS /ˈblʌdsʌkər/
carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
a state at a particular time
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
crumbledverbUS /ˈkrʌmbəld/
past form of “crumble” — fall apart
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
erectedverbUS /ɪˈrektəd/
past form of “erect” — construct, build, or erect
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
divisible by two
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
an act that fails
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
a social unit living together
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
gaitnounUS /ɡeɪt/
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
Golovliov
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
Golovliovo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
hanger-onnoun
someone who persistently (and annoyingly) follows along
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
hot-temperedadjective
quickly aroused to anger
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
a social unit living together
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
idlenessnounUS /ˈaɪdəlnəs/
having no employment
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
imperceptiblyadverbUS /ˌɪmpərˈseptɪbli/
in an imperceptible manner or to an imperceptible degree
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
impregnableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpreɡnəbəl/
immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
involvedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɑːlvd/
connected by participation or association or use
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
irresponsibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪrəˈspɑːnsəbəl/
showing lack of care for consequences
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
knittingnounUS /ˈnɪtɪŋ/
needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
languidadjectiveUS /ˈlæŋɡwəd/
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
managementnounUS /ˈmænədʒmənt/
the act of managing something
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
needlesnounUS /ˈniːdəlz/
plural of “needle” — the leaf of a conifer
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
not any; not one
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
occupyverbUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪ/
keep busy with
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
Petrovna
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
Porfiry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
rulernounUS /ˈruːlər/
a person who rules or commands
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
SimonnounUS /ˈsaɪmən/
one of the twelve Apostles (first century)
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
in or at or to some place
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
a male human offspring
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
strongholdnounUS /ˈstrɔːŋhoʊld/
a strongly fortified defensive structure
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
tiesnounUS /taɪz/
plural of “tie” — neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
tirelessadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərləs/
showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
a just detectable amount
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
vivacitynoun
characterized by high spirits and animation
From this reading Her head was bowed, her back bent, the fire in her eyes had died out, her gait was languid, the vivacity of her movements was gone.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
migratory
From this reading She had taken to knitting to occupy her idleness, but her mind was always wandering somewhere away from her needles, and the knitting was a failure.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This stronghold, erected by the tireless hands of Arina Petrovna, had crumbled away, but so imperceptibly that she herself was ignorant of how it had happened, was even involved in the destruction, the leading spirit in which, of course, had been Porfiry the Bloodsucker.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
in the company of; together with
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
a late time of life
From this reading Not more than ten years had passed since the death of Simple Simon, but the condition of the various members of the Golovliov family had so completely changed that not a trace remained of those artificial ties which had given the family the air of an impregnable stronghold.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading From an irresponsible, hot-tempered ruler over the Golovliovo estate, Arina Petrovna had descended into a mere hanger-on in the home of her younger son, a useless hanger-on, with no voice in the household management.
