used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
additionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/
a component that is added to something to improve it
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
additionaladjectiveUS /əˈdɪʃənəl/
further or added
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
a positive feeling of liking
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
(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 She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
chilledverbUS /tʃɪld/
past form of “chill” — depress or discourage
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
combinedadjectiveUS /kəmˈbaɪnd/
made or joined or united into one
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
culturenounUS /ˈkʌltʃər/
a particular society at a particular time and place
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
diligentlyadverbUS /ˈdɪlədʒəntli/
with diligence; in a diligent manner
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
ErnstnounUS /ɜːrnst/
painter (born in Germany, resident of France and the United States) who was a cofounder of dadaism; developed the technique of collage (1891-1976)
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
set up or found
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
brought together in one place
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
Gnadeck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
governessnounUS /ˈɡʌvərnəs/
a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of a child (especially in a private home)
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
a social unit living together
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
lentnounUS /lent/
a period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
a unit of instruction
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
Lindhof
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/
past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
Mertens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
painsnounUS /peɪnz/
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
practisings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
repressedadjectiveUS /riˈprest/
characterized by or showing the suppression of impulses or emotions
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
resourcenounUS /ˈriːsɔːrs/
available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
reveriesnounUS /ˈrevəriz/
plural of “revery” — an abstracted state of absorption
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Miss Mertens’ presence lent an additional charm to the circle at Gnadeck.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
the act of using
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
variedadjectiveUS /ˈverid/
characterized by variety
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
someone who visits
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
wardnounUS /wɔːrd/
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading In the mean while, the practisings at Castle Lindhof went on as before.
at any time that; every time that
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
which person or people
From this reading She longed to be of use whenever she could, and took great pains with little Ernst, who had a lesson every day in French and English; while Elizabeth, too, gathered all the advantage that she could from her visitor, and studied diligently, knowing that it was the best resource to ward off sad reveries.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Her gentle nature, so long chilled and repressed, now showed itself, and, combined with her varied culture, made her a most attractive addition to the household.
a late time of life
From this reading For the first time for long, dreary years the governess found herself an object of interest and affection, and at home.
