used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
abodenounUS /əˈboʊd/
any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
how long something has existed
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
in the past
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
(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 It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
betimesadverb
in good time
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
competencenounUS /ˈkɑːmpətɪns/
the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
cause to be slowed down or delayed
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
wanted intensely
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
despairedverbUS /dɪˈsperd/
past form of “despair” — abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/
housing that someone is living in
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
being one more than seven
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
being one more than ten
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
equippedadjectiveUS /ɪˈkwɪpt/
provided or fitted out with what is necessary or useful or appropriate
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
forthwithadverbUS /ˈfɔːrˈθwɪθ/
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
guisenounUS /ɡaɪz/
an artful or simulated semblance
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
intricateadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəkət/
having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
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 It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
messengersnounUS /ˈmesəndʒərz/
plural of “messenger” — a person who carries a message
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
not any; not one
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
and nothing more
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
regainingnounUS /rɪˈɡeɪnɪŋ/
getting something back again
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
repairedverbUS /rɪˈperd/
past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
residencenounUS /ˈrezɪdəns/
any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
restoreverbUS /rɪˈstɔːr/
return to its original or usable and functioning condition
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
richesnounUS /ˈrɪtʃəz/
an abundance of material possessions and resources
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
believed likely
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading I had eight or ten miles to walk, so far from the town being the residence of these people; and I forthwith repaired to their dwelling.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading I arrived, through intricate ways, at eleven o'clock, at the house of Mrs. Maurice.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The persons whom I desired to see were known to me only by name, and by their place of abode.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Next morning I arose betimes, and equipped myself without delay.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was a mother and her three daughters to whom I now carried the means not only of competence but riches; means which they, no doubt, had long ago despaired of regaining, and which, among all possible messengers, one of my age and guise would be the least suspected of being able to restore.
