used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A LITTLE MINX, ETC.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
a proposal for an appropriate course of action
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
(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 She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
concernsnounUS /kənˈsɜːrnz/
plural of “concern” — something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
eighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/
being one more than seventeen
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
ETC
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A LITTLE MINX, ETC.
a social unit living together
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
governessnounUS /ˈɡʌvərnəs/
a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of a child (especially in a private home)
From this reading She was my governess.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
an established custom
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A LITTLE MINX, ETC.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
joined in matrimony
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
MINXnoun
a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men
From this reading A LITTLE MINX, ETC.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
painsnounUS /peɪnz/
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
express in words
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was my governess.
carry out
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
at the time that
From this reading My father in England married a second time when I was about eighteen.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Mother herself had engaged her, and I believe had asked, when dying, that she would remain to take care of us; and I don't say that she was not a good woman.
a late time of life
From this reading She had been nearly five years in the house, and we had the habit of looking to her for advice in all family concerns; and certainly she took great pains with my education.
