used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
Abbie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
acknowledgingverbUS /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒɪŋ/
-ing form of “acknowledge” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
how long something has existed
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
babyhoodnounUS /ˈbeɪbihʊd/
the early stage of growth or development
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
correspondentsnounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndənts/
plural of “correspondent” — someone who communicates by means of letters
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
a female human offspring
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
Ester's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
a social unit living together
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading SOMETHING HAPPENS.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
not any; not one
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
and nothing more
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
other's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
Ralph's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
Ried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
Identical; not different.
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading SOMETHING HAPPENS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
uncle'snounUS /ˈʌŋkəlz/
possessive form of “uncle” — the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Now the letter which had caused so much trouble in the Ried family, and especially in Ester's heart, was, in one sense, not an ordinary letter.
in the company of; together with
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading It had been written to Ester's cousin, Abbie, her one intimate friend, Uncle Ralph's only daughter.
but in spite of that
From this reading These two, of the same age, had been correspondents almost from their babyhood; and yet they had never seen each other's faces.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading To go to New York, to her uncle's house, to see and be with Cousin Abbie, had been the one great dream of Ester's heart--as likely to be realized, she could not help acknowledging, as a journey to the moon, and no more so.
