Chapter XXIV · A Sister by Adoption

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

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

later than; following

From this reading It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

(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 It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

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

From this reading It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

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

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

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

From this reading It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

in a delightful manner

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

the state or fact of existing

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

a social unit living together

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

set up or found

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

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

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

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

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

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

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

immediately past

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

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 It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

at the same time but in another place

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

used to form the superlative

From this reading It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

not any; not one

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury

From this reading It was her mother she had come home from Bratley to nurse; but it was her father, after all, who had needed her most.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

and nothing more

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

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

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

in the near future

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

a general conscious awareness

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

the state of being asleep

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

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

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

the quality possessed by something that is unreal

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

precisely as stated

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

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

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

at the time that

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

during the time that

From this reading It could not be true, she told herself, that her father lay sleeping his last long sleep in the next room, while her mother was lying too ill to know or care what became of the family in this sad time.

which person or people

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Oh, why was life so hard, so very hard, for some people, when others found existence so delightfully easy?

in the company of; together with

From this reading GERTRUDE moved about the house with a sense of unreality about her.

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

From this reading It could not be true, but only a bad dream from which she would wake presently; only meanwhile she must do her best for the helpless children, who had no one to look to but herself.