used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
believingnounUS /bɪˈliːvɪŋ/
the cognitive process that leads to convictions
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
collectedadjectiveUS /kəˈlektəd/
brought together in one place
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
cousinsnounUS /ˈkʌzənz/
plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
deceivingverbUS /dɪˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “deceive” — be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
desirousadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪrəs/
having or expressing desire for something
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
despairingadjectiveUS /dɪˈsperɪŋ/
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
to the same degree (often followed by “as”)
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
failingnounUS /ˈfeɪlɪŋ/
a flaw or weak point
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
the trait of acting stupidly or rashly
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
half-numbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
incomprehensibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪŋkɑːmprəˈhensɪbəl/
incapable of being explained or accounted for
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
inexcusableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnɪksˈkjuːzəbəl/
without excuse or justification
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
Laline
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
held dear
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
not any; not one
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
and nothing more
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
persistedverbUS /pərˈsɪstɪd/
past form of “persist” — continue to exist
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
be seated
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
strengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈstreŋθənd/
given added strength or support
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
terminatedadjectiveUS /ˈtɜːrməneɪtɪd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Her folly in failing to distinguish between the two cousins appeared to her now equally inexcusable and incomprehensible.
up-stairs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I loved him, and so I persisted in believing he was my husband!" was the despairing cry of her heart.
at the time that
From this reading When Laline left the study and fled up-stairs to her room, she had by no means terminated her adventures for the day.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At first she could do nothing but sit with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, half-numbed by the extent of her misfortune.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Gradually, as she collected in her mind the evidence upon which she had acted, a conviction strengthened within her mind that she had been only too desirous of deceiving herself.
