used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
(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 It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
animationnounUS /ˌænəˈmeɪʃən/
the condition of living or the state of being alive
From this reading Her step was buoyant, and her voice full of animation.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
buoyantadjectiveUS /ˈbɔɪənt/
tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas
From this reading Her step was buoyant, and her voice full of animation.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
a young person of either sex
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
condemnverbUS /kənˈdem/
express strong disapproval of
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
having made preparations
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
divisible by two
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
fairy-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
frequentverbUS /ˈfriːkwənt/
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Her step was buoyant, and her voice full of animation.
gentlestadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentələst/
superlative of “gentle” — soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
a young female
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
joyousnessnoun
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
the sound of laughing
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
misleadverbUS /mɪˈsliːd/
lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
NourishverbUS /ˈnɜːrɪʃ/
provide with nourishment
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
parent'snounUS /ˈperənts/
possessive form of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
profusionnounUS /prəˈfjuːʒən/
the property of being extremely abundant
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
past form of “render” — cause to become
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
ringlets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/
from appearances alone
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
snarenounUS /sner/
something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
sparkleverbUS /ˈspɑːrkəl/
reflect brightly
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/
shining with brilliant points of light like stars
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Her step was buoyant, and her voice full of animation.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, Thus do the blind mislead the blind, Even with a mother's love.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
vanitynounUS /ˈvænəti/
feelings of excessive pride
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
Villars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Her step was buoyant, and her voice full of animation.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light ringlets.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading It might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, and all around her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A parent's heart may prove a snare; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell.
