acheverbUS /eɪk/
feel physical pain
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
bestnounUS /best/
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
breakfast-table
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
chatterverbUS /ˈtʃætər/
click repeatedly or uncontrollably
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
cheerfuladjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪrfəl/
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
CHRISTMASnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
chumnounUS /tʃʌm/
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
easieradjectiveUS /ˈiːziər/
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
faradverbUS /fɑːr/
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
gayadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
griefnounUS /ɡriːf/
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
holidaysnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
increasedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːst/
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
inexpressibleadjective
defying expression
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
laughnounUS /læf/
the sound of laughing
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
longingnounUS /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/
prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
lookverbUS /lʊk/
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
mealnounUS /miːl/
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
missedadjectiveUS /mɪst/
not caught with the senses or the mind
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
newadjectiveUS /nuː/
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
occupiedadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪd/
held or filled or in use
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
PRESENTSnounUS /ˈprezənts/
plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
RuthnounUS /ruːθ/
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
sleepnounUS /sliːp/
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
tenfoldadverbUS /ˈtenfoʊld/
by ten times as much
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, she and her father had been so occupied making the hard day easier for each other that it had passed almost pleasantly.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/
under normal conditions
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
wakeverbUS /weɪk/
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was hard to look cheerful at the breakfast-table, and every one missed the gay laugh and chatter which usually made the meal so pleasant.
wishingnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/
a specific feeling of desire
From this reading But now, with her best chum so far away, the longing for her mother increased tenfold, and Ruth found herself wishing that she could go to sleep again, and not wake until the holidays were over.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading CHRISTMAS PRESENTS The day before Christmas Ruth awoke with an ache in her heart, and an inexpressible longing for mother and father.
worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading It was even worse, she thought, than the Christmas before when grief for her mother was so keenly new.
