used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
assumeverbUS /əˈsuːm/
take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
BEENauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading WHO COULD IT HAVE BEEN?
bustlenounUS /ˈbʌsəl/
a rapid active commotion
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
cheerfulnessnounUS /ˈtʃɪrfəlnəs/
the quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
constraintnounUS /kənˈstreɪnt/
the state of being physically constrained
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading WHO COULD IT HAVE BEEN?
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
drearilyadverb
in a cheerless manner
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
at any time
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
Grantley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
HAVEauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading WHO COULD IT HAVE BEEN?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading WHO COULD IT HAVE BEEN?
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
Mellen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
not any; not one
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
and nothing more
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It had grown stronger as the days passed on, and that night was more powerful than ever.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The evening passed drearily enough to Grantley Mellen.
unaccountableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbəl/
not to be accounted for or explained
From this reading A strange and unaccountable dread of his approaching journey possessed him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
weariedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪrid/
exhausted
From this reading He was in no spirits for society and the gay bustle; the lights, the music, the constraint he was forced to put upon himself, and the cheerfulness he was obliged to assume, only wearied him.
which person or people
From this reading WHO COULD IT HAVE BEEN?
