used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
matters of personal concern
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
anew
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
(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 DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
attachmentnounUS /əˈtætʃmənt/
a feeling of affection for a person or an institution
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
availverbUS /əˈveɪl/
use to one's advantage
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
terminate
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
CaliforniannounUS /ˌkælɪˈfɔːrnjən/
a native or resident of California
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
comfortingadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/
providing freedom from worry
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
divisible by two
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
farthingnounUS /ˈfɑːrðɪŋ/
a former British bronze coin worth a quarter of a penny
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
start firing a weapon
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
helpingnounUS /ˈhelpɪŋ/
an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
Hilda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
a social unit living together
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
lackedverbUS /lækt/
past form of “lack” — be without
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
mid-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
morning'snounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/
possessive form of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
used to form the superlative
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
having or expressing strong emotions
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
pilingnounUS /ˈpaɪlɪŋ/
a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
quantitynounUS /ˈkwɑːntəti/
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
rouseverbUS /raʊs/
become active
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
express in words
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
scantadjectiveUS /skænt/
less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/
from appearances alone
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
sumac-roots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
past form of “urge” — force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading She served the mid-day meal and urged him to break his fast, but he shook his head, and drew nearer to the fire.
uttermostadjective
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading Still, she gave to her uttermost farthing, but nothing she could do or say had the effect of helping him.
warmthnounUS /wɔːrmθ/
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading DOWN BY THE RIVER All through that most miserable day Hilda gave him the best of her sympathy and kindness; but even her best was poor of quality and scant of quantity, and it did not avail to rouse him from his despair.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading She was too new to Californian life to understand the whole meaning of the morning’s misfortune, and apart from this, her power of comforting lacked the glow and warmth of passionate attachment.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He crouched by the fire, a broken man seemingly, now and again piling on the sumac-roots, and sometimes glancing at her as she passed to and fro busy with the affairs of their little household.
