used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
(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 "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The day of the little child's funeral came.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
a young person of either sex
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
child'snounUS /tʃaɪldz/
possessive form of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The day of the little child's funeral came.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
coffinnounUS /ˈkɔːfɪn/
box in which a corpse is buried or cremated
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading The coffin was carried to the grave, and the disconsolate mother sat with her young daughters.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The day of the little child's funeral came.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
disconsolateadjective
sad beyond comforting; incapable of being consoled
From this reading The coffin was carried to the grave, and the disconsolate mother sat with her young daughters.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading The day of the little child's funeral came.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
death of a person
From this reading The coffin was carried to the grave, and the disconsolate mother sat with her young daughters.
groansnounUS /ɡroʊnz/
plural of “groan” — an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
hammernounUS /ˈhæmər/
the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The day of the little child's funeral came.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
the force of workers available
From this reading "When God is so hard to me, how can I expect men to be better?" she said with groans and tears.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
nailedverbUS /neɪld/
past form of “nail” — attach something somewhere by means of nails
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
absolutely essential
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The day of the little child's funeral came.
previouslyadverbUS /ˈpriːviəsli/
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The coffin was carried to the grave, and the disconsolate mother sat with her young daughters.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
sunkadjectiveUS /sʌŋk/
doomed to extinction
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The day of the little child's funeral came.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
wearinessnounUS /ˈwɪrinəs/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading For nights previously the mother had not slept, but in the morning twilight of this day she sunk from weariness into a deep sleep; in the mean time the coffin was carried into a distant room, and there nailed down, that she might not hear the blows of the hammer.
at the time that
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
in the company of; together with
From this reading When she awoke, and wanted to see her child, the husband, with tears, said, "We have closed the coffin; it was necessary to do so."
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The coffin was carried to the grave, and the disconsolate mother sat with her young daughters.