used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
matters of personal concern
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
bricknounUS /brɪk/
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
deepenedverbUS /ˈdiːpənd/
past form of “deepen” — make more intense, stronger, or more marked
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
dissipatedadjectiveUS /ˈdɪsəpeɪtɪd/
unrestrained by convention or morality
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
eagernessnounUS /ˈiːɡərnəs/
a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
eighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/
being one more than seventeen
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
set up or found
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
fourteennounUS /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/
the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
an established custom
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
hailedverbUS /heɪld/
past form of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
harsheradjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrʃər/
comparative of “harsh” — unpleasantly stern
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not that he was unwilling to work.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not that he was unwilling to work.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
on the contrary
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
realitiesnounUS /ˌriːˈælətiːz/
plural of “reality” — all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
an educational institution
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
shyverbUS /ʃaɪ/
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was not that he was unwilling to work.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Affairs had gone badly in the little brick house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
unwillingadjectiveUS /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/
not disposed or inclined toward
From this reading It was not that he was unwilling to work.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If, at fourteen, Saint had been a problem to his mother, he was now, at eighteen, her despair.
at the time that
From this reading But the habit that had been given to him in school had deepened rather than dissipated when met by the harsher realities of life.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On the contrary, he hailed each new position that was found for him with shy eagerness.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading It was not that he was unwilling to work.
