used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
consider or hold as true
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
(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 We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
Annie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
BecksnounUS /beks/
plural of “beck” — a beckoning gesture
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
blissnounUS /blɪs/
a state of extreme happiness
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
BrackennounUS /ˈbrækən/
fern of southeastern Asia; not hardy in cold temperate regions
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
recognizable; marked
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
dignifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/
having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
earnedadjectiveUS /ɜːrnd/
gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
a feeling of favorable regard
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
HOLIDAYSnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
homesnounUS /hoʊmz/
plural of “home” — where you live at a particular time
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
labours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
Mary'snounUS /ˈmeriz/
possessive form of “mary” — the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
maternaladjectiveUS /məˈtɜːrnəl/
characteristic of a mother
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
NodsnounUS /nɑːdz/
plural of “nod” — a sign of assent or salutation or command
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
paternaladjectiveUS /pəˈtɜːrnəl/
belonging to or inherited from one's father
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
relativenounUS /ˈrelətɪv/
a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
respectiveadjectiveUS /rɪˈspektɪv/
considered individually
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
seventhadjectiveUS /ˈsevənθ/
coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading We had never met any of Mary's people but hoped to some day, as all she told us of them sounded pretty nice.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
Tuckers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Tuckers had decided to come to Bracken for Christmas, so we were in the seventh heaven of bliss.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Annie and Mary could not accept the invitation that Father had told me to give them as they had to go to their respective homes, Annie to be with her dignified paternal relative, and Mary with what she assured us was a far from dignified maternal one.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Nods and Becks_ met with great favour and we felt after our labours that we had earned the good times we meant to have during the holidays.
