Chapter VI · Rex at the Homestead

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

later than; following

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

(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 Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

inflected form of “busy” — keep busy with

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

rid of obstructions

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

a state at a particular time

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

dearly loved

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

destroyed or killed

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

a farewell remark

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

for more time

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

above and across; more than

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

any material used especially to protect something

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading But to clear it up was a labor of love, over which Dorcas lingered as long as possible.

past form of “pray” — address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

with safety; in a safe manner

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

searching for or buying goods or services

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

create by training and teaching

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

at the time that

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading She had then busied herself with clearing up Bertha’s room, which was not an altogether easy task.

a Caucasian

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Then when all was done and she had closed the shutters and dropped the shades, she knelt by the white bed and amid a rain of tears prayed God to protect the dear sister on sea and land and bring her safely back to the home which was so desolate without her.

United States lexicographer who was accused of plagiarism by Noah Webster (1784-1865)

From this reading The day had been longer and lonelier to Dorcas than the previous one, for then she had gone with Bertha to the train in Worcester, and after saying good-bye, had done some shopping in town and made a few calls before returning home.

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading Bertha was never as orderly as her sister, and, in the confusion of packing, her room was in a worse condition than usual.