used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
(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 In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading All ties between him and reality were cut.
cavilling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading All ties between him and reality were cut.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
the state or fact of existing
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
glumlyadverbUS /ˈɡlʌmli/
in a sullen manner
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
plural of “habit” — an established custom
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
immediately past
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
for more time
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
meekadjectiveUS /miːk/
humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
not any; not one
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
pesteringadjectiveUS /ˈpestərɪŋ/
causing irritation or annoyance
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
Porfiry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading All ties between him and reality were cut.
refugenounUS /ˈrefjuːdʒ/
a safe place
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
sociabilitynoun
the relative tendency or disposition to be sociable or associate with one's fellows
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He demanded nothing better of life than to be left alone in his last refuge, his study.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
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 All ties between him and reality were cut.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading In a short time Porfiry had completely lost all habits of sociability.
timorousadjectiveUS /ˈtɪmərəs/
timid by nature or revealing timidity
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He no longer paid any attention to the confusion that had come into his existence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading All ties between him and reality were cut.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had lost all his former ways of cavilling with and pestering those about him, and he was timorous and glumly meek.
