adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
actsnounUS /ækts/
a New Testament book describing the development of the early church from Christ's Ascension to Paul's sojourn at Rome
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
admittancenounUS /ədˈmɪtəns/
the right to enter
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
agitationnounUS /ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/
a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
angelsnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəlz/
plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
anxiouslyadverbUS /ˈæŋkʃəsli/
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
beginverbUS /bɪˈɡɪn/
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
behaviornounUS /bɪˈheɪvjər/
manner of acting or controlling yourself
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
considerableadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/
dearly loved
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
discoverynounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/
the act of discovering something
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
expectingverbUS /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
extraordinaryadjectiveUS /ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri/
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
familynounUS /ˈfæməli/
a social unit living together
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/
bringing death
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
gainverbUS /ɡeɪn/
obtain
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
gazingverbUS /ˈɡeɪzɪŋ/
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/
a young female
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
HelennounUS /ˈhelən/
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
Helen'snounUS /ˈhelɪnz/
possessive form of “helen” — (Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
illadjectiveUS /ɪl/
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
interruptedadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd/
discontinued temporarily
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
knockverbUS /nɑːk/
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
knowverbUS /noʊ/
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
NaturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/
as might be expected
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
niece'snounUS /ˈniːsɪz/
possessive form of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
prostrated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
RobertsnounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/
United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/
only a very short time before
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
shadowsnounUS /ˈʃædoʊz/
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
talkverbUS /tɔːk/
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She had been expecting to find the girl more prostrated than ever, and so the discovery was a great relief to her; she stood gazing at her anxiously.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/
hard to endure
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
walknounUS /wɔːk/
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading “Our acts our angels are, or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Naturally there was considerable agitation in the Roberts family on account of Helen's strange behavior; early the next morning Mrs. Roberts was at her niece's door, trying to gain admittance.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading This time she did not have to knock but once, and when she entered she was surprised to see that Helen was already up and dressing.
wishverbUS /wɪʃ/
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Helen, dear,” she said, “I scarcely know how to begin to talk to you about your extraordinary--” “I wish,” interrupted Helen, “that you would not begin to talk to me about it at all.”
