Chapter XXXIV

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

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

(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 had all come to her now.

plural of “ambition” — a cherished desire

From this reading But since Signor Rauzzini had come upon the scene her ambitions had widened.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading That was all she longed for at first—to be recognized as “the one who writes,” as people recognized “the one who plays.”

plural of “aspiration” — a will to succeed

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

of surpassing excellence

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading It had all come to her now.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

the quality of being the same in quantity or measure or value or status

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading That was all she longed for at first—to be recognized as “the one who writes,” as people recognized “the one who plays.”

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading That was all she longed for at first—to be recognized as “the one who writes,” as people recognized “the one who plays.”

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

destroyed or killed

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading It had all come to her now.

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading It had all come to her now.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

a social unit living together

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had all come to her now.

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 Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

the act of departing

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

of less size or importance

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

possessive form of “martin” — French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

characterized by or capable of producing music

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading It had all come to her now.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading That was all she longed for at first—to be recognized as “the one who writes,” as people recognized “the one who plays.”

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading That was all she longed for at first—to be recognized as “the one who writes,” as people recognized “the one who plays.”

full of or giving praise

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading But since Signor Rauzzini had come upon the scene her ambitions had widened.

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading That was all she longed for at first—to be recognized as “the one who writes,” as people recognized “the one who plays.”

the place where some action occurs

From this reading But since Signor Rauzzini had come upon the scene her ambitions had widened.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

used as an Italian courtesy title; can be prefixed to the name or used separately

From this reading But since Signor Rauzzini had come upon the scene her ambitions had widened.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading But since Signor Rauzzini had come upon the scene her ambitions had widened.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

plural of “talent” — natural abilities or qualities

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

status with respect to the relations between people or groups

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading It had all come to her now.

not noticed

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But since Signor Rauzzini had come upon the scene her ambitions had widened.

past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

plural of “visitor” — someone who visits

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

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

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

at the time that

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

which person or people

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive

From this reading But since Signor Rauzzini had come upon the scene her ambitions had widened.

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading She had had her dreams from time to time when working at her novel—dreams of recognition—of being received on terms of equality by some of the lesser literary people who had visited the house in St. Martin’s Street, and had gone away praising the musical talents of her sisters, but leaving her unnoticed.

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

From this reading Her aspirations had been humble, but it seemed to her so stupid to be stupid in the midst of a brilliant household, that she longed to be able to do something that would, at least, cause their visitors of distinction to glance into her corner and recognize her name when it was spoken in their hearing.

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading That was all she longed for at first—to be recognized as “the one who writes,” as people recognized “the one who plays.”