used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
Abner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
barnnounUS /bɑːrn/
an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
believingnounUS /bɪˈliːvɪŋ/
the cognitive process that leads to convictions
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
an occurrence of something
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
deferringverbUS /dɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/
inflected form of “defer” — hold back to a later time
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
endearedverbUS /enˈdiːrd/
past form of “endear” — make attractive or lovable
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
fasteningnounUS /ˈfæsənɪŋ/
restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
set up or found
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
of great significance or value
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
a small worthless amount
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
and nothing more
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
laborsnounUS /ˈleɪbərz/
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
mailnounUS /meɪl/
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
NancynounUS /ˈnænsi/
a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
information about recent and important events
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
not any; not one
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
padlocknounUS /ˈpædlɑːk/
a detachable lock; has a hinged shackle that can be passed through the staple of a hasp or the links in a chain and then snapped shut
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
patchingnounUS /ˈpætʃɪŋ/
the act of mending a hole in a garment by sewing a patch over it
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
without much difficulty
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
get rid of
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
SICKNESSnounUS /ˈsɪknəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading SICKNESS.
and nothing more
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
precisely as stated
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
nonexistent
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
at the time that
From this reading "That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his labors.
in the company of; together with
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in the barn.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of "deferring the evil day."
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no hurry to mail it.
