used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
anew
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
authoritiesnounUS /əˈθɔːrətiz/
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
convictsnounUS /ˈkɑːnvɪkts/
plural of “convict” — a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
dirtnounUS /dɜːrt/
the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
From this reading The idleness, ignorance, and dirt of these women shocked her.
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 Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
to come or go into
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
at any time
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
FryverbUS /fraɪ/
be excessively hot
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
idlenessnounUS /ˈaɪdəlnəs/
having no employment
From this reading The idleness, ignorance, and dirt of these women shocked her.
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading The idleness, ignorance, and dirt of these women shocked her.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
improveverbUS /ˌɪmˈpruːv/
to make better
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
immediately past
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
matsnounUS /mæts/
plural of “mat” — a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
piningnounUS /ˈpaɪnɪŋ/
a feeling of deep longing
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
prisonsnounUS /ˈprɪzənz/
plural of “prison” — a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
shockedadjectiveUS /ʃɑːkt/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading The idleness, ignorance, and dirt of these women shocked her.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
sufferingsnounUS /ˈsʌfərɪŋz/
plural of “suffering” — a state of acute pain
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
sympatheticadjectiveUS /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/
of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The idleness, ignorance, and dirt of these women shocked her.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sorrow was making Elizabeth Fry more and more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
which person or people
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading She got the prison authorities to let the poor women have mats to sleep on, especially those who were ill, and she begged to be alone with the convicts for a few hours.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading At last she was able to work again, and with her whole heart she set herself to improve the prisons.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading How could the poor little children, pining for food and fresh air, ever grow up to be good women in the world, into which they might be turned out any time?
