Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

not being in a specified place

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

how long something has existed

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

(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 But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

Having no one else present.

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

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

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

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

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

past form of “ascribe” — attribute or credit to

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

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

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

(classical mythology) god of wine; equivalent of Dionysus

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

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

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

with bitterness; in a resentful manner

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

fearless and daring

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

a youthful male person

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

a region marking a boundary

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

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

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

a young person of either sex

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the time of person's life when they are a child

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

without offspring

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

relating to or characteristic of Christianity

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

the body of faculty and students of a college

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

having come or been brought to a conclusion

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

have a craving, appetite, or great desire for

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

travel across or pass over

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

(Roman mythology) god of love; counterpart of Greek Eros

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

a special loved one

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

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

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

more distant in especially space or time

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

at or to or toward the front

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

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

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

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

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

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

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

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

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

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

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

an iconic mental representation

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

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

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

a polite name for any woman

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

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 These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

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

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

come together

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

used to form the superlative

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

not one and not the other of two

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

not any; not one

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

United States sharpshooter who was featured in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (1860-1926)

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

and nothing more

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

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

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

restricted to something

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

not often

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

on the contrary

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

Identical; not different.

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

except for; apart from

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

cause to go somewhere

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

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

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

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

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

and nothing more

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

in the near future

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

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

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

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

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

the starting point for a new state or experience

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

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

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

a merchant who owns or manages a shop

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the body of faculty and students at a university

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading These ladies, Miss Gascoigne and Miss Grey, had neither called upon nor taken the least notice of Miss Oakley.

precisely as stated

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading But Miss Oakley--if she thought about the matter at all--ascribed it to a fact well recognized in Avonsbridge, as in most University towns, that one might as soon expect the skies to fall as for a college lady to cross, save for purely business purposes, the threshold of a High Street tradesman.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

at the time that

From this reading The same cause, she concluded, made them absent from her wedding; and when Dr. Grey had said simply, "I shall desire my sisters to send the children," Christian had inquired no farther.

which person or people

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Only for a second, hanging on the brink of this first meeting with the children--her husband's children, hers that were to be--did her heart fail her, and then she came forward to meet the little group.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

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

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

desire strongly or persistently

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Letitia and Arthur were thin, prim-looking, rather plain children; but Oliver was the very picture of a father's darling, a boy that any childless man would bitterly covet, any childless woman crave and yearn for, with a longing that women alone can understand; a child who, beautiful as most childhood is, had a beauty you rarely see--bright, frank, merry, bold; half a Bacchus and half a Cupid, he was a perfect image of the Golden Age.