used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had no idea what the deacon was driving at.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
coughingnounUS /ˈkɑːfɪŋ/
a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
CRANEverbUS /kreɪn/
stretch (the neck) so as to see better
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
DEACONnounUS /ˈdiːkən/
a Protestant layman who assists the minister
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading He had no idea what the deacon was driving at.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had no idea what the deacon was driving at.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “True, Brother Crane,” said the minister, but he looked puzzled.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He had no idea what the deacon was driving at.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
isn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “True, Brother Crane,” said the minister, but he looked puzzled.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading “True, Brother Crane,” said the minister, but he looked puzzled.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
not any; not one
From this reading He had no idea what the deacon was driving at.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
parishnounUS /ˈpærɪʃ/
a local church community
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
parsonnounUS /ˈpɑːrsən/
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
progressin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
filled with bewilderment
From this reading “True, Brother Crane,” said the minister, but he looked puzzled.
on the contrary
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
precisely, exactly
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
shirkverbUS /ʃɜːrk/
avoid (one's assigned duties)
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
to a small degree or extent
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “True, Brother Crane,” said the minister, but he looked puzzled.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading “True, Brother Crane,” said the minister, but he looked puzzled.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had no idea what the deacon was driving at.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He had no idea what the deacon was driving at.
WILYadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪli/
marked by skill in deception
From this reading WILY DEACON CRANE “It’s a delicate matter,” said Deacon Crane, coughing slightly.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I’d rather some other brother would have taken it off my hands, but duty is duty, and it isn’t right to shirk it.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you think, parson, the parish is progressin’ as it should?
