Chapter I

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

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

anew

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

(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 was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

a quantity of money

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

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

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

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

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading Bet was the youngest but one, so it was the seventh time the Angel of Love had come to the cottage when he was born.

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

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

maintain with or as if with a bet

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

brought into existence

From this reading Bet was the youngest but one, so it was the seventh time the Angel of Love had come to the cottage when he was born.

food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

a young person of either sex

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

clothing in general

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Bet was the youngest but one, so it was the seventh time the Angel of Love had come to the cottage when he was born.

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

a small house with a single story

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

in a manner differing from the usual or expected

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

past form of “display” — to show, make visible or apparent

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

being one more than seven

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

apart from; not including

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

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

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the dressed hairy coat of a mammal

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

a young female

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

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

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

only a very short time before

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Bet was the youngest but one, so it was the seventh time the Angel of Love had come to the cottage when he was born.

a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

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

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

without doubting or questioning

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially made ready for use or marketing

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

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

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

a polite name for any woman

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

be a lodger; stay temporarily

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

held dear

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

strong feelings of embarrassment

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

not one and not the other of two

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

and nothing more

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position

From this reading Bet was the youngest but one, so it was the seventh time the Angel of Love had come to the cottage when he was born.

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

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

penetrating no deeper than the skin: "her beauty is only skin-deep"

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

of high or superior quality or performance

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

express a supposition

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

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

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

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

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

express in words

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the words of something written

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

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

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Bet was the youngest but one, so it was the seventh time the Angel of Love had come to the cottage when he was born.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

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

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

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

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

precisely as stated

From this reading She was, however, such a very pretty little girl, and so very gentle and sweet-tempered, that she could hardly have been improved upon, and all the eight children at the Lodge loved her.

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

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

From this reading Italic text displayed as: _italic_ AN ONLY CHILD _Up_ at the Hall there was only one little girl.

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

inflected form of “weep” — shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

at the time that

From this reading When the children at the cottage looked curiously at the little lady in her velvet and fur, their mother used to be ashamed of them, and tell them that beauty was only skin-deep, and it was better to be good than pretty—and they all believed her except Bet, and on that dreadful day when Francey told the little lady to her face that she did not see she (the little lady) was a bit better than she was, except for her clothes, poor Mrs. Smith had wept tears of sorrow and mortification, and Francey had dined on dry bread for a week—and they had all again implicitly believed, as their mother had told them, that they were only common children and Miss Dolly was a very superior being indeed—except Bet.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The eight children at the Lodge were not particularly pretty, neither were they particularly good, but they had warm, affectionate little hearts, and I suppose that, as each baby brings love into the world with it, there was eight times the amount of love in the cottage that there was at the Hall.

superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Bet was the youngest but one, so it was the seventh time the Angel of Love had come to the cottage when he was born.