used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
adviseverbUS /ædˈvaɪz/
give advice to
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
AlasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
(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 This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
ash-tree
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
avengeverbUS /əˈvendʒ/
take revenge for a perceived wrong
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
bendingnounUS /ˈbendɪŋ/
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
a youthful male person
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
brooknounUS /brʊk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
Cardenio
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
consolationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsəˈleɪʃən/
the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
CuratenounUS /ˈkjʊrət/
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
psychological suffering
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
Dorothea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
put on clothes
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
faithlessadjective
having the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
Fernando
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
destroyed or killed
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
(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 The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
held dear
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
mournfuladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrnfəl/
expressing sorrow
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
overheardverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhɜːrd/
inflected form of “overhear” — hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
pacesnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪz/
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
peasant's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
a human being
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
cut with a saw
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
in the near future
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
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 The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
thicketsnounUS /ˈθɪkəts/
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading Alas, how much more agreeable to me is the company of these rocks and thickets than the society of faithless man!
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
washverbUS /wɑːʃ/
clean with some chemical process
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
at the time that
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
which person or people
From this reading The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don Fernando As soon as Cardenio had finished his melancholy story, the Curate was about to offer him some consolation, when he was stopped by hearing a mournful voice calling out: 'Oh that I could find an end to this life of misery!
in the company of; together with
From this reading This was overheard by the Curate and all who were with him, and thinking that the person who spoke must be hard by, they went to search, and had not gone twenty paces when they saw behind a large rock a boy sitting under an ash-tree.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading He wore a peasant's dress, but as he was bending down to wash his feet in the brook, his head was turned from them.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
wrongsnounUS /rɔːŋz/
plural of “wrong” — that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law
From this reading Would that I had any one to advise me in difficulty, to comfort me in distress, or to avenge my wrongs!'
