used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
birthstone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
borrowingnounUS /ˈbɑːroʊɪŋ/
the appropriation (of ideas or words etc) from another source
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
bunchnounUS /bʌntʃ/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
coaxedverbUS /koʊkst/
past form of “coax” — influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
without stop or interruption
From this reading She continued to ravel the thread.
dar-rling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
diamondsnounUS /ˈdaɪməndz/
plural of “diamond” — a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
eccentricadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsentrɪk/
conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
egoismnounUS /ˈiːɡoʊɪzəm/
(ethics) the theory that the pursuit of your own welfare in the basis of morality
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
divisible by two
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
gulpedverbUS /ɡʌlpt/
past form of “gulp” — to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
From this reading She gulped at the midway modified metaphor.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
humiliatesverbUS /hjuːˈmɪlieɪts/
third-person singular of “humiliate” — cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
Irene
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
jewelrynounUS /ˈdʒuːəlri/
an adornment (as a bracelet or ring or necklace) made of precious metals and set with gems (or imitation gems)
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
lashverbUS /læʃ/
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
immediately past
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
held up in the air
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
limbonounUS /ˈlɪmboʊ/
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
metaphornounUS /ˈmetəfɔːr/
a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity
From this reading She gulped at the midway modified metaphor.
midwayadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdweɪ/
equally distant from the extremes
From this reading She gulped at the midway modified metaphor.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
modifiedadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːdəfaɪd/
changed in form or character
From this reading She gulped at the midway modified metaphor.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
night'snounUS /naɪts/
possessive form of “night” — the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
not any; not one
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
orchidsnounUS /ˈɔːrkədz/
plural of “orchid” — any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
pinkienounUS /ˈpɪŋki/
the finger farthest from the thumb
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
questioningadjectiveUS /ˈkwestʃənɪŋ/
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
ravelnounUS /ˈrævəl/
French composer and exponent of Impressionism (1875-1937)
From this reading She continued to ravel the thread.
free from harm or evil
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
self-sufficientadjectiveUS /ˌselfsəˈfɪʃənt/
able to provide for your own needs without help from others
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She continued to ravel the thread.
Sturgis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In her self-sufficient egoism Irene Sturgis had no mercy.
suggestingverbUS /səˈdʒestɪŋ/
-ing form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
swallowverbUS /ˈswɑːloʊ/
pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She continued to ravel the thread.
threadverbUS /θred/
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading She continued to ravel the thread.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She continued to ravel the thread.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “At times, dar-rling, you get too terribly eccentric for even me to—to swallow.”
you'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “If you’d sent me a bunch of orchids now, by way of suggesting your gratitude for last night’s rescue from limbo, or if you’d brought around a pinkie ring with a birthstone set—diamonds are for April, you know—which mother _might_ let me keep if I coaxed her and explained how it humiliates me always to be borrowing jewelry—I’d not have lifted a questioning lash.
