adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/
in the past
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
ambitiousadjectiveUS /æmˈbɪʃəs/
having a strong desire for success or achievement
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
BellenounUS /bel/
a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
calledverbUS /kɔːld/
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
chickensnounUS /ˈtʃɪkənz/
plural of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/
dearly loved
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/
without deviation
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
enduredverbUS /enˈdjʊrd/
past form of “endure” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
fednounUS /fed/
any federal law-enforcement officer
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
fognounUS /fɑːɡ/
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
gauntadjectiveUS /ɡɔːnt/
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/
a young female
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/
destroyed or killed
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
helplessadjectiveUS /ˈhelpləs/
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
Len
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
LydianounUS /ˈlɪdiə/
an ancient region on the coast of western Asia Minor; a powerful kingdom until conquered by the Persians in 546 BC
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
ManounUS /mɑː/
informal terms for a mother
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/
joined in matrimony
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
Martie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
Martie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
MonroenounUS /mənˈroʊ/
United States film actress noted for sex appeal (1926-1962)
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
morningsnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/
plural of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/
not divisible by two
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
PaulineadjectiveUS /pɔːˈliːn/
relating to Paul the Apostle or his doctrines
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
realizationnounUS /ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən/
coming to understand something clearly and distinctly
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
SallynounUS /ˈsæli/
witty remark
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
sensenounUS /sens/
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
sevennounUS /ˈsevən/
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
shabbyadjectiveUS /ˈʃæbi/
showing signs of wear and tear
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
shocknounUS /ʃɑːk/
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
timesnounUS /taɪmz/
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
tooadverbUS /tuː/
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
touchingadjectiveUS /ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/
arousing affect
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
transpiredverbUS /trænˈspaɪərd/
past form of “transpire” — pass through the tissue or substance or its pores or interstices, as of gas
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
treesnounUS /triːz/
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
waysnounUS /weɪz/
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
willownounUS /ˈwɪloʊ/
any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Sometimes the realization of all she had endured came to her with an odd sense of shock.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading But these things might all have transpired without touching Martie's own life directly.
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Len and Sally were married and gone, dear Ma was gone, and Belle had married, too; a tall gaunt woman called Pauline was in her place.
yardnounUS /jɑːrd/
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading There were times when Martie found it difficult to believe that she had ever been away from Monroe at all; evenings, when she and Lydia sat talking in the shabby sitting room of the old house; or mornings when she fed the chickens in the soft fog under the willow trees of the yard.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading She might still, in many ways, have been the dreaming, ambitious, helpless girl of seven years ago.
