Chapter XXIX

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

(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 The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

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 latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

plural of “boarder” — a tenant in someone's house

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

plural of “community” — a group of people living in a particular local area

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

the temporal property of two things happening at the same time

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

a religious residence especially for nuns

From this reading THE LITTLE CONVENT.

plural of “convent” — a religious residence especially for nuns

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

distributed or spread over a considerable extent

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading It was a strange pell-mell, in which each followed her rule.

with eagerness; in an eager manner

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading It was a strange pell-mell, in which each followed her rule.

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

plural of “gown” — a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It was a strange pell-mell, in which each followed her rule.

someone unfortunate without housing

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

having inhabitants; lived in

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a strange pell-mell, in which each followed her rule.

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

the item at the end

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading THE LITTLE CONVENT.

past form of “lodge” — be a lodger; stay temporarily

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

plural of “nun” — a woman religious

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

with undue hurry and confusion

From this reading It was a strange pell-mell, in which each followed her rule.

a regular payment to a person that is intended to allow them to subsist without working

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

that may be permitted especially as according to rule

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

any object that is left unused or still extant

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

a party of former associates who have come together again

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading It was a strange pell-mell, in which each followed her rule.

a building where young people receive education

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It was a strange pell-mell, in which each followed her rule.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE LITTLE CONVENT.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

plural of “variety” — a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

a Caucasian

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading There were within the walls of Little Picpus three perfectly distinct buildings,--the great convent inhabited by the nuns, the schoolhouse in which the boarders were lodged, and, lastly, what was called the little convent.

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Under the Empire all these dispersed and homeless women were allowed to shelter themselves under the wings of the Bernardo-Benedictines; the Government paid them a small pension, and the ladies of Little Picpus eagerly received them.

the words that are spoken

From this reading The latter was a house with a garden, in which all sorts of old nuns of various orders, the remains of convents broken up in the Revolution, dwelt in common; a reunion of all the black, white, and gray gowns of all the communities, and all the varieties possible; what might be called, were such a conjunction of words permissible, a hotch-potch convent.