used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/
not being in a specified place
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
AshtonnounUS /ˈæʃtən/
British choreographer (1906-1988)
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
austereadjectiveUS /ɔːˈstɪr/
severely simple
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
uttered without voice
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
confessionnounUS /kənˈfeʃən/
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
countedverbUS /ˈkaʊntɪd/
past form of “count” — determine the number or amount of
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
desperatelyadverbUS /ˈdespərətli/
with great urgency
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/
perceived or discerned
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
divisible by two
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
destroyed or killed
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
immediately past
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
moralistnounUS /ˈmɔːrəlɪst/
a philosopher who specializes in morals and moral problems
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
not any; not one
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
preparationsnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
estrangement from god
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
subtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
communicated in words
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
Varnham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading He had been gone more than a week, making preparations for our return to Ashton.
at the time that
From this reading “Varnham was absent when our confession was first looked, then breathed, and at last desperately uttered.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading We could not believe that feelings which had no evil wish might be in themselves evil.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sin with us was too subtle and deep for human eyes, even for our own.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading Had every action of our lives been counted during that time, the most austere moralist could have detected no wrong.
