used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A CHAPTER OF DISCLOSURES.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading A CHAPTER OF DISCLOSURES.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
defyverbUS /dɪˈfaɪ/
resist or confront with resistance
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
Desvoeux
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
disagreeableadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈɡriːəbəl/
not to your liking
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
DISCLOSURESnounUS /dɪˈskloʊʒərz/
plural of “disclosure” — the speech act of making something evident
From this reading A CHAPTER OF DISCLOSURES.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
enabledverbUS /eˈneɪbəld/
past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
FelicianounUS /fəˈliːʃə/
genus of tropical African herbs or subshrubs with usually blue flowers
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
foolishlyadverbUS /ˈfuːlɪʃli/
without good sense or judgment
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
death of a person
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Felicia knew exactly how matters stood and scarcely said a word.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
infectedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfektɪd/
containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Felicia knew exactly how matters stood and scarcely said a word.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
mail-phaeton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Felicia knew exactly how matters stood and scarcely said a word.
Maud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
Maud's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
and nothing more
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A CHAPTER OF DISCLOSURES.
proprietynounUS /prəˈpraɪəti/
correct or appropriate behavior
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
recklessnessnounUS /ˈrekləsnəs/
the trait of giving little thought to danger
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Felicia knew exactly how matters stood and scarcely said a word.
only a very short time before
From this reading Felicia knew exactly how matters stood and scarcely said a word.
scoldingnounUS /ˈskoʊldɪŋ/
rebuking a person harshly
From this reading Maud did not exactly get a scolding, but Felicia looked extremely grave.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Felicia knew exactly how matters stood and scarcely said a word.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Felicia knew exactly how matters stood and scarcely said a word.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading For his thoughts, Would they were blank sooner than filled with me!
wronglyadverbUS /ˈrɔːŋli/
without justice or fairness
From this reading Maud's high spirits were gone in an instant; the excitement which had enabled her to defy propriety hitherto deserted her at the door; the recklessness with which Desvoeux always infected her had driven away with him in his mail-phaeton, and left her merely with the disagreeable consciousness of having acted foolishly and wrongly.
