used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Grannie pottered about and got the tea.
achedverbUS /eɪkt/
past form of “ache” — feel physical pain
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
AllynounUS /ˈælaɪ/
a friendly nation
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Grannie pottered about and got the tea.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
a special loved one
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
opinion or judgment
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
feather-stitching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
the act of departing
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Grannie pottered about and got the tea.
Grannienoun
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading Grannie pottered about and got the tea.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
moisturenounUS /ˈmɔɪstʃər/
wetness caused by water
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
mustn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
on one occasion
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
painfullyadverbUS /ˈpeɪnfəli/
unpleasantly
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
pottered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grannie pottered about and got the tea.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Grannie pottered about and got the tea.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Grannie pottered about and got the tea.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As she did so she shook her old head, and once a dim moisture came to her eyes.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
a source of difficulty
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading "Whatever I do, I mustn't let out that Ally failed in the feather-stitching," she said to herself.
at the time that
From this reading But Grannie had never thought much of herself, and she was certainly not going to do so to-day when her darling was in such trouble.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Her hand ached so painfully that if she had been less brave she would have sat down and given herself up to the misery which it caused her.
