Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "You know nothing about it yet.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

used as intensifiers

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

a person's social heritage: previous experience or training

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

past form of “brood” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

following accepted customs and proprieties

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

plural of “dove” — any of numerous small pigeons

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

a large number or amount

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

plural of “echo” — the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

divisible by two

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

a state of nervous depression

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

the act of departing

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

destroyed or killed

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

come to pass

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

intense and profound fear

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

-ing form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

a polite name for any woman

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "You know nothing about it yet.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

on one occasion

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

above and across; more than

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

with low volume

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

a male human offspring

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

plural of “storm” — a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

lighted by sunlight

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

the largest Australian city located in southeastern Australia on the Tasman Sea; state capital of New South Wales; Australia's chief port

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

a special situation

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

in or at the place that

From this reading Once more came peace, so sunlit and tender that it seemed as though they had wandered into a valley of Avilion where even the echoes of storms could not come, and doves brooded softly.

in the company of; together with

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading I've seen this thing happen dozens of times, and it's much worse than you imagine."

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading They talked sometimes now of the coming of their son; Louis, once he had got over his conventional horror of such a proceeding, said that she would be as safe in Mrs. Twist's care, with him hovering in the background, as though she had gone to the nursing home in Sydney, as he had suggested at first.

but in spite of that

From this reading "You know nothing about it yet.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You know nothing about it yet.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I shall funk awfully to know you're going through it, old lady," he told her.