used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
at any time
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
set up or found
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
a young female
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
haggardadjectiveUS /ˈhæɡərd/
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He shook his head mournfully.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
be the source of pain
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
immediately past
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
missionarynounUS /ˈmɪʃəneri/
someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
mournfullyadverb
in a mournful manner
From this reading He shook his head mournfully.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
Polly's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading He shook his head mournfully.
sublimeadjectiveUS /səˈblaɪm/
inspiring awe
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
swelledadjectiveUS /sweld/
feeling self-importance
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
tavernnounUS /ˈtævərn/
a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
thankfulnessnounUS /ˈθæŋkfəlnes/
warm friendly feelings of gratitude
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In a few hours after Aunt Polly’s return home, the missionary came to the tavern, looking more haggard than he had ever appeared before.
tremulousadjectiveUS /ˈtremjələs/
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
at the time that
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
a Caucasian
From this reading “And the lady—that beautiful white queen—did you find her at last?
in the company of; together with
From this reading He inquired in a tremulous voice after Mary, and when he found her lying pale and exhausted on Aunt Polly’s bed, but with an expression of sublime thankfulness on her face, the tears absolutely swelled into his eyes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “Are you ill—are you hurt?” inquired the young girl, reaching forth her hand.
