used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
ah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
equally
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
(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 When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
assaynounUS /ˈæsi/
an appraisal of the state of affairs
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
ball-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
destinedadjectiveUS /ˈdestɪnd/
headed or intending to head in a certain direction; often used as a combining form as in “college-bound students”
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
diamondsnounUS /ˈdaɪməndz/
plural of “diamond” — a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
at any time
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
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 Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
HAWTHORNEnounUS /ˈhɔːθɔːrn/
United States writer of novels and short stories mostly on moral themes (1804-1864)
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
illsnounUS /ɪlz/
plural of “ill” — an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
NATHANIEL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
niecenounUS /niːs/
a daughter of your brother or sister
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
not any; not one
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
precedentnounUS /ˈpresɪdənt/
an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
without much difficulty
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
settingsnounUS /ˈsetɪŋz/
plural of “setting” — the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
SHAKSPEARE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --SHAKSPEARE.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
shunn'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
squat-figured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
summersnounUS /ˈsʌmərz/
plural of “summer” — the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
Vanhorn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike.
at the time that
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
which person or people
From this reading "But, ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent The destined ills she must herself assay?"
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading When Miss Vanhorn and her niece entered the ball-room, late in the evening, heads were turned to look at them; for the old woman wore all her diamonds, fine stones in old-fashioned settings, and shone like a little squat-figured East Indian god.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading Times change, and people change; and if our hearts do not change as readily, so much the worse for us."--NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
