used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
cherishedadjectiveUS /ˈtʃerɪʃt/
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
a young person of either sex
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
cravedadjectiveUS /kreɪvd/
wanted intensely
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
dearlyadverbUS /ˈdɪrli/
in a sincere and heartfelt manner
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
dimpledverbUS /ˈdɪmpəld/
past form of “dimple” — mark with, or as if with, dimples
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
environmentsnounUS /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənts/
plural of “environment” — the totality of surrounding conditions
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
exteriornounUS /ɪkˈstɪriər/
the region that is outside of something
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
something acquired without compensation
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
Imelda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
imperfectadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt/
not perfect; defective or inadequate
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
infantnounUS /ˈɪnfənt/
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
intensitynounUS /ɪnˈtensəti/
the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
jubilantadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːbələnt/
joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
lurkedverbUS /lɜːrkt/
past form of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
Margaret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
Margaret's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
moodsnounUS /muːdz/
plural of “mood” — a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
used to form the superlative
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
not any; not one
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
and nothing more
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
ownedadjectiveUS /oʊnd/
having an owner; often used in combination
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
rosyadjectiveUS /ˈroʊzi/
reflecting optimism
From this reading To press the rosy dimpled infant, the child of the man her heart owned king—to her jubilant heart was her dream of dreams.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
marked by correspondence or resemblance
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
confined on all sides
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Imelda had seen Margaret in similar moods before, and she knew of the intensity that sometimes lurked beneath the smiling exterior.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She knew Margaret’s most dearly cherished desire was some day to be a mother.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading To call into being a perfect child she must be a perfect mother, and she understood, only too well, that she could not be that, surrounded with imperfect conditions.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But with this gift that she so craved she demanded no common conditions and environments.
