used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
absurditynounUS /əbˈsɜːrdəti/
a message whose content is at variance with reason
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading It was a desertion on his part, and she had answered it by a desertion of her own.
any person at all
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was a desertion on his part, and she had answered it by a desertion of her own.
a young person of either sex
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
desertionnounUS /dɪˈzɜːrʃən/
withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility
From this reading It was a desertion on his part, and she had answered it by a desertion of her own.
disapprovalnounUS /dɪsəˈpruːvəl/
a feeling of disliking something or what someone is doing
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
ELOPING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
at any time
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
Honora
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
not in action or at work
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
Jackman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
held dear
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
Moira
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
Nannock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was a desertion on his part, and she had answered it by a desertion of her own.
on one occasion
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading It was a desertion on his part, and she had answered it by a desertion of her own.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading It was a desertion on his part, and she had answered it by a desertion of her own.
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
-ing form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
sensitiveadjectiveUS /ˈsensətɪv/
responsive to physical stimuli
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
in a serious manner
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a desertion on his part, and she had answered it by a desertion of her own.
shrankverbUS /ʃræŋk/
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
stampedverbUS /stæmpt/
past form of “stamp” — walk heavily
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
strollnounUS /stroʊl/
a leisurely walk (usually in some public place)
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
a special situation
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE ELOPING PERSONS That was a night against which a black mark had afterwards to be set in the memory of Paul Nannock.
which person or people
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading But with this man the children stood first; and ever in the front rank of them stood Moira, child of the woman he had loved.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It had seemed such a simple thing, and so inevitable--that promise to which he had been forced, and which would have meant, with anyone else, a mere matter of an idle stroll and a little easy talk.
but in spite of that
From this reading The absurdity of regarding the little expedition with Honora Jackman seriously occurred to him more than once, and yet he shrank from it; and the fact that the sensitive child who was so near to his heart had stamped it with her disapproval meant much to Paul.
