used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
actsnounUS /ækts/
a New Testament book describing the development of the early church from Christ's Ascension to Paul's sojourn at Rome
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
buzzverbUS /bʌz/
make a buzzing sound
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
cattynounUS /ˈkæti/
any of various units of weight used in southeastern Asia (especially a Chinese measure equal to 500 grams)
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
Doane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
Drusilla
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
endearedverbUS /enˈdiːrd/
past form of “endear” — make attractive or lovable
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
enviousadjectiveUS /ˈenviəs/
showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
divisible by two
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
the act of departing
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
hardenedadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrdənd/
used of persons; emotionally hardened
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
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 Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
go away from a place
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
feeling or showing love and affection
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
packagesnounUS /ˈpækədʒəz/
plural of “package” — a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
possessionsnounUS /pəˈzeʃənz/
plural of “possession” — the act of having and controlling property
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
promptedverbUS /ˈprɑːmptɪd/
past form of “prompt” — give an incentive for action
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
spitefuladjectiveUS /ˈspaɪtfəl/
showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
treasuredadjectiveUS /ˈtreʒərd/
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading She passed the morning in looking over her few possessions and making little packages of the things she treasured to be given to her friends after she left.
unappreciatedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/
not likely to be rewarded
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The next morning there was a buzz of excitement in the Doane home for old ladies.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Word had got around that Drusilla had been left a fortune and was going away.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Some of the ladies were plainly envious and said spiteful, catty things, while others were glad that at least one of their number would be able to leave behind the "home"--the living on charity--that nightmare of the old.
a late time of life
From this reading Drusilla had endeared most of them to her by her many kindly acts, prompted by a loving heart that even years of poverty and unappreciated labor for others had not hardened.
