used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
affectionateadjectiveUS /əˈfekʃənət/
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
(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 Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
any thing at all
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
the act of departing
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
discernverbUS /dɪˈsɜːrn/
detect with the senses
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
dutifuladjectiveUS /ˈduːtifəl/
willingly obedient out of a sense of duty and respect
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
expectationsnounUS /ˌekspekˈteɪʃənz/
plural of “expectation” — belief about (or mental picture of) the future
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
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 Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading MARY.
not caught with the senses or the mind
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
mournedverbUS /mɔːrnd/
past form of “mourn” — feel sadness
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
Preston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
runawaynounUS /ˈrʌnəweɪ/
an easy victory
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
sensiblyadverbUS /ˈsensəbli/
with good sense or in a reasonable or intelligent manner
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
a male human offspring
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
tidingsnounUS /ˈtaɪdɪŋz/
information about recent and important events
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But he did not come, nor were any tidings received from him.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Still, all mourned his sudden disappearance; especially, as they knew not what had become of him.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For a while, Mrs. Preston looked up the road, many times every day, to see if she could discern anything of the runaway, for she had strong expectations that he would return.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Jerry was missed at home;—to be sure, his departure was not felt so sensibly as it would have been, had he acted the part of a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
