used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
achingadjectiveUS /ˈeɪkɪŋ/
causing a dull and steady pain
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
(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 By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
Bastienne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
exhale hard
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
lacking funds
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
burialnounUS /ˈberiəl/
the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
calamitynounUS /kəˈlæməti/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
Claude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
cliffnounUS /klɪf/
a steep high face of rock
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
coffinnounUS /ˈkɔːfɪn/
box in which a corpse is buried or cremated
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
completedadjectiveUS /kəmˈpliːtəd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
dugnounUS /dʌɡ/
an udder or breast or teat
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/
housing that someone is living in
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
grassyadjectiveUS /ˈɡræsi/
abounding in grass
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
death of a person
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
hammernounUS /ˈhæmər/
the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
temporary military shelter
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
and nothing more
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
immediately past
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
feeling or showing love and affection
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
MargueritenounUS /ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/
tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
Marie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
performverbUS /pərˈfɔːrm/
carry out or perform an action
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
planksnounUS /plæŋks/
plural of “plank” — a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
prepareverbUS /priˈper/
make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
raynounUS /reɪ/
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
without speaking
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
sodnounUS /sɑːd/
surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
From this reading By the evening of the day which followed her death all was ready, and Claude, with an aching heart, dug a grave in the level, grassy sod, just back of the cliff from which she had fallen.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
up to a particular time
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
toiledverbUS /tɔɪld/
past form of “toil” — work hard
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading All completed, he returned to the hut, and the three watched silently by their dead till morning broke upon them.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
at the time that
From this reading It was a sad duty that Bastienne and Marguerite had to perform when they made Marie's poor broken body ready for burial.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Each blow of his hammer went to the hearts of the women, from whom this sad calamity seemed to have taken the last ray of hope.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading And while they toiled with loving hands within the hut, Claude worked as best he could to prepare a rude coffin from some of the planks which had remained after the building of their dwelling.
