used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
(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 The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I did not live.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
chieflyadverbUS /ˈtʃiːfli/
for the most part
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
châteaunounUS /ʃæˈtoʊ/
A large French country house or castle, often surrounded by expansive estates and private galleries.
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
comfortedadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪd/
made comfortable or more comfortable in a time of distress
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
country-lanes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
deliberateadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪbərət/
carefully thought out in advance
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But I did not live.
dreamings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
any strong feeling
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
encouragingadjectiveUS /enˈkɜːrɪdʒɪŋ/
giving courage or confidence or hope
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
endeavournounUS /ɪnˈdevər/
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
divisible by two
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
ever-shrivelling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
apart from; not including
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
yet to be or coming
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
happeningsnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋz/
plural of “happening” — an event that happens
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
incessantlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsesəntli/
with unflagging resolve
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading But I did not live.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
a particular point in time
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
not any; not one
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But I did not live.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
To recall to mind.
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading The life of my soul was sometimes in the past, chiefly in the future, in the present not at all.
carry out
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
precisely as stated
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
Villebecq
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
a vivid mental image
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
walksnounUS /wɔːks/
plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot
From this reading I ate and slept, and took walks in the park and the country-lanes; I comforted the ever-shrivelling Countess; I read incessantly.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
at the time that
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading By deliberate endeavour I made the present even less than it would have been, by encouraging myself to experience no emotion except in my dreamings, to take no interest in the small daily happenings (they were very small) of my Villebecq daily life, to remember that for me Life would begin at the moment when Vision and Reality became one.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading For over a year I was alone in the great empty château with my dreams.
