used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
BrittanynounUS /ˈbrɪtəni/
a former province of northwestern France on a peninsula between the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
caller'snounUS /ˈkɔːlərz/
possessive form of “caller” — a social or business visitor
From this reading She threw the letters, papers, and medal into her caller's lap.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “My grandson is dead!”
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
dishevelledadjective
in disarray; extremely disorderly
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
dried-upadjective
(used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
dumbadjectiveUS /dʌm/
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
Gaudnoun
cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
gloamingnounUS /ˈɡloʊmɪŋ/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
grandmothersnounUS /ˈɡrændmʌðərz/
plural of “grandmother” — the mother of your father or mother
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
grandsonnounUS /ˈɡrændsʌn/
a male grandchild
From this reading “My grandson is dead!”
grinningnounUS /ˈɡrɪnɪŋ/
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
IcelandnounUS /ˈaɪslənd/
an island republic on the island of Iceland; became independent of Denmark in 1944
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She threw the letters, papers, and medal into her caller's lap.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “My grandson is dead!”
jawverbUS /dʒɔː/
talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading She threw the letters, papers, and medal into her caller's lap.
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 Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
the literary culture
From this reading She threw the letters, papers, and medal into her caller's lap.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
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 two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
medalnounUS /ˈmedəl/
an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
From this reading She threw the letters, papers, and medal into her caller's lap.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “My grandson is dead!”
never-endingadjectiveUS /ˌnevərˈendɪŋ/
uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
information about recent and important events
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
not any; not one
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading She threw the letters, papers, and medal into her caller's lap.
plaintiveadjectiveUS /ˈpleɪntɪv/
expressing sorrow
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
with speed
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
cut with a saw
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
scannedverbUS /skænd/
inflected form of “scan” — examine minutely or intensely
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
only a very short time before
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading She threw the letters, papers, and medal into her caller's lap.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
weepverbUS /wiːp/
shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
whimperverbUS /ˈwɪmpər/
cry weakly or softly
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Gaud quickly scanned the whole, saw the news was true, and fell on her knees to pray.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Thus did Gaud, coming in for news in the evening, find her; her hair dishevelled, her arms hanging down, and her head resting against the stone wall, with a falling jaw grinning, and the plaintive whimper of a little child; she scarcely could weep any more; these grandmothers, grown too old, have no tears left in their dried-up eyes.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The two women remained there together almost dumb, through the June gloaming, which in Brittany is long but in Iceland is never-ending.
