used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
(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 All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
react verbally
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
Brownlee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
at any time
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
gallantlyadverbUS /ˈɡæləntli/
in a gallant manner
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
coins made of gold
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
destroyed or killed
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
HOUSEWARMINGnounUS /ˈhaʊswɑːmɪŋ/
a party of people assembled to celebrate moving into a new home
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
Jocelyn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
joyfullyadverbUS /ˈdʒɔɪfəli/
in a joyous and gleeful manner
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
joyousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔɪəs/
full of or characterized by joy
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
minister'snounUS /ˈmɪnɪstərz/
possessive form of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
become covered with mist
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
not any; not one
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
ordealnounUS /ɔːrˈdiːl/
a severe or trying experience
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
prettiestadjectiveUS /ˈprɪtiəst/
superlative of “pretty” — pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading All the rose and gold had faded and she stood lonely and lost and cold in a mist of mystery.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
sighingverbUS /ˈsaɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading She was laying out the prettiest of her pretty things and sighing as she did it.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
hard to endure
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE HOUSEWARMING Jocelyn Brownlee was dressing for the minister's party.
wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
at the time that
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Ever since that afternoon when she had stood on the back porch waving joyfully to David and received no answer her world had lost its color.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading For what two months before would have seemed a joyous occasion was now nothing but a painful, trying ordeal, an ordeal that must, however, be gallantly gone through with.
