used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
Alan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
(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 It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
Bannisdale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
CambridgenounUS /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/
a university in England
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
CatholicadjectiveUS /ˈkæθlɪk/
of or relating to or supporting Catholicism
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
causesnounUS /ˈkɑːzəz/
plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
cheapadjectiveUS /tʃiːp/
relatively low in price or charging low prices
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
a young person of either sex
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
combinedadjectiveUS /kəmˈbaɪnd/
made or joined or united into one
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Fountain himself was from the North Country.
CumberlandnounUS /ˈkʌmbərlənd/
English general; son of George II; fought unsuccessfully in the battle of Fontenoy (1721-1765)
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
the specified day of the month
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
being one more than seven
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
FountainnounUS /ˈfaʊntən/
a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Fountain himself was from the North Country.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
Helbeck's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Fountain himself was from the North Country.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
Laura
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
lodgingsnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz/
temporary living quarters
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
joined in matrimony
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
used to form the superlative
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Fountain himself was from the North Country.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/
the act of spending or disbursing money
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
spinsternounUS /ˈspɪnstər/
an elderly unmarried woman
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
StephennounUS /ˈstiːvən/
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
thirteennounUS /ˈθɜːrˈtiːn/
the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
vacationnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
precisely as stated
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It had all come about in the most natural inevitable way.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
at the time that
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
in or at the place that
From this reading At the time of their first meeting with the little Catholic spinster, Stephen Fountain and his child were spending part of the Cambridge vacation at a village on the Cumberland coast where a fine air could be combined with cheap lodgings.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But the causes which had brought Laura Fountain to Bannisdale were very simple.
widowernounUS /ˈwɪdoʊər/
a man whose wife is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.
a late time of life
From this reading When Laura was eight years old--nearly thirteen years before this date--her father, then a widower with one child, had fallen in with and married Alan Helbeck's sister.