1836
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
Annie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
bellsnounUS /belz/
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
blanknessnoun
the state of being blank; void; emptiness
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
DaynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
DeathnounUS /deθ/
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
desolationnounUS /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/
the state of being decayed or destroyed
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
diedverbUS /daɪd/
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
far-away
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
forgiveverbUS /fərˈɡɪv/
stop blaming or grant forgiveness
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
glazingverbUS /ˈɡleɪzɪŋ/
-ing form of “glaze” — coat with a glaze
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading May God forgive me!"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
householdnounUS /ˈhaʊshoʊld/
a social unit living together
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
LeighnounUS /liː/
English film actress (1913-1967)
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
lipsnounUS /lɪps/
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading May God forgive me!"
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading May God forgive me!"
minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
motionnounUS /ˈmoʊʃən/
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/
many times at short intervals
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
poignancynounUS /ˈpɔɪnjənsi/
a state of deeply felt distress or sorrow
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
Rochdale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
sayverbUS /seɪ/
express in words
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
signnounUS /saɪn/
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
stoopedadjectiveUS /stuːpt/
having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
utterverbUS /ˈʌtər/
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow--a more utter blankness to the desolation.
whispernounUS /ˈwɪspər/
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie!
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say.
