affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/
a positive feeling of liking
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
ardentadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrdənt/
characterized by intense emotion
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
burdensnounUS /ˈbɜːrdənz/
plural of “burden” — an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
checkedadjectiveUS /tʃekt/
patterned with alternating squares of color
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
childnounUS /tʃaɪld/
a young person of either sex
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
cookingnounUS /ˈkʊkɪŋ/
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
difficultiesnounUS /ˈdɪfəkəltiz/
plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
enableverbUS /eˈneɪbəl/
render capable or able for some task
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
EsthernounUS /ˈestər/
(Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
fleetingadjectiveUS /ˈfliːtɪŋ/
lasting for a markedly brief time
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/
the act of acquiring something
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
the act of departing
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
hardshipsnounUS /ˈhɑːrdʃɪps/
plural of “hardship” — a state of misfortune or affliction
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
knowverbUS /noʊ/
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
lovenounUS /lʌv/
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
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 Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
mothersnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/
a judge of a probate court
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
putverbUS /pʊt/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
realadjectiveUS /riːl/
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
riddingverbUS /ˈrɪdɪŋ/
inflected form of “rid” — relieve from
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
sakenounUS /seɪk/
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
SeveraladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
speakverbUS /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
SpiresnounUS /spaɪrz/
plural of “spire” — a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
strainnounUS /streɪn/
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
talkverbUS /tɔːk/
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
temptationnounUS /temˈteɪʃən/
something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
timesnounUS /taɪmz/
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
truthnounUS /truːθ/
a fact that has been verified
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Several times she looked as if she were going to speak, and several times she checked herself.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading In truth, she didn't know what to make of Esther.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading All the while Mrs. Spires was getting on with her cooking.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
yieldedverbUS /ˈjiːldɪd/
past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of
From this reading Mrs. Spires had heard many mothers talk as Esther talked, but when the real strain of life was put upon them they had yielded to the temptation of ridding themselves of their burdens.
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Was her love of her child such love as would enable her to put up with all hardships for its sake, or was it the fleeting affection of the ordinary young mother, which, though ardent at first, gives way under difficulties?
