used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
how long something has existed
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Even Aunt Frances succumbed to her charms.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
Ballard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
beneficentadjectiveUS /ˌbenəˈfɪʃənt/
doing or producing good
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
BestowedverbUS /bɪˈstoʊd/
past form of “bestow” — present
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/
plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading Even Aunt Frances succumbed to her charms.
christeningnounUS /ˈkrɪsənɪŋ/
giving a Christian name at baptism
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
Constance's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
EnvelopenounUS /ˈenvəloʊp/
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
divisible by two
From this reading Even Aunt Frances succumbed to her charms.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
the organ of sight
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
fairiesnounUS /ˈferiz/
plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
a social unit living together
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
feminineadjectiveUS /ˈfemənən/
associated with women and not with men
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
FrancesnounUS /ˈfrænsɪs/
plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading Even Aunt Frances succumbed to her charms.
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
hyphenatedverbUS /ˈhaɪfəneɪtɪd/
past form of “hyphenate” — divide or connect with a hyphen
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
linennounUS /ˈlɪnən/
a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
Mary-Constance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
morselnounUS /ˈmɔːrsəl/
a small quantity of anything
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
not any; not one
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
normaladjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrməl/
conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
personalitiesnounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪtiz/
plural of “personality” — the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
RichardsonnounUS /ˈrɪtʃərdsən/
United States architect (1838-1886)
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
succumbedverbUS /səˈkʌmd/
past form of “succumb” — consent reluctantly
From this reading Even Aunt Frances succumbed to her charms.
SwathedverbUS /swɑːðd/
past form of “swathe” — wrap in swaddling clothes
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
toothlessadjectiveUS /ˈtuːθləs/
lacking teeth
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
unmatchedadjectiveUS /ənˈmætʃt/
of the remaining member of a pair
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
unprejudicedadjective
free from undue bias or preconceived opinions
From this reading Swathed in fine linen, she showed to the unprejudiced eye no signs of great beauty.
UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
weeadjectiveUS /wiː/
(used informally) very small
From this reading The little Mary-Constance Ballard Richardson, in spite of the dignity of her hyphenated name, was a wee morsel.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _In Which a Long Name is Bestowed Upon a Beautiful Baby; and in Which a Letter in a Long Envelope Brings Freedom to Mary._ The christening of Constance's baby brought together a group of feminine personalities, which, to one possessed with imagination, might have stood for the evil and beneficent fairies of the old story books.
wrinkly-red
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a wrinkly-red skin, a funny round nose, a toothless mouth--she was like every other normal baby of her age, but to her family and friends she was a rare and unmatched object.
