used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
not being in a specified place
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
BERTHA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BERTHA.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
chainedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪnd/
bound with chains
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
determine the number or amount of
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
daringnounUS /ˈderɪŋ/
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
feelings of ardent love
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
dexterouslyadverb
with dexterity; in a dexterous manner
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
Fleury's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
frettingverbUS /ˈfretɪŋ/
inflected form of “fret” — worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
Gramont
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
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 The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
Madeleine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
moment'snounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/
possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
postponeverbUS /poʊstˈpoʊn/
hold back to a later time
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
powerlessadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərləs/
lacking power
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
relativesnounUS /ˈrelətɪvz/
plural of “relative” — a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
rencontre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
determined
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
get by special effort
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
that is looked for
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
not in physical motion
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
tediousadjectiveUS /ˈtiːdiəs/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
TristannounUS /ˈtrɪstæn/
(Middle Ages) the nephew of the king of Cornwall who (according to legend) fell in love with his uncle's bride (Iseult) after they mistakenly drank a love potion that left them eternally in love with each other
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
unflaggingadjectiveUS /ənˈflæɡɪŋ/
showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She formed her plans so dexterously that Bertha was chained to her side, fretting through the tedious hours, yet powerless to secure a moment's freedom.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The Countess de Gramont had resolved, at least, to postpone a meeting she might not be able wholly to prevent.
belonging to which person
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If Madeleine had been asked which of her relatives would first have sought her after the unexpected _rencontre_ at Madame de Fleury's, she would have answered, "Bertha,"--Bertha, whose devotion had been so unflagging, so open, so daring.
but in spite of that
From this reading But on the day which succeeded that stormy interview, Count Tristan and Maurice had visited Madeleine, yet Bertha remained absent; another day passed, and still she came not.
