used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
artisticadjectiveUS /ɑːrˈtɪstɪk/
relating to or characteristic of art or artists
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
bakeverbUS /beɪk/
cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven
From this reading She could not even bake a cake.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
cause to be bored
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
cakenounUS /keɪk/
a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading She could not do what other girls could do.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
cause to move by pulling
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
episodenounUS /ˈepəsoʊd/
a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
divisible by two
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
excusesnounUS /ɪksˈkjuːsɪz/
plural of “excuse” — a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
an act that fails
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading She could not do what other girls could do.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
intense and profound fear
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
engage in
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
NancynounUS /ˈnænsi/
a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She could not do what other girls could do.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading She could not do what other girls could do.
possibilitiesnounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiz/
plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
representedadjectiveUS /ˌreprɪˈzentɪd/
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
RESOLVEverbUS /riˈzɑːlv/
bring to an end; settle conclusively
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She could not do what other girls could do.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
studentnounUS /ˈstuːdənt/
a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
summedverbUS /sʌmd/
inflected form of “sum” — be a summary of
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
talentnounUS /ˈtælənt/
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
undisguisedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndɪsˈɡaɪzd/
plain to see
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
untrainedadjectiveUS /ənˈtreɪnd/
not disciplined or conditioned or made adept by training
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The cake failure represented to her much more than a simple episode, for it had suddenly summed up all the awful possibilities of untrained hands.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading THE VIRTUE OF RESOLVE But something had happened to Nancy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She could not do what other girls could do.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was well enough to make excuses, to claim business and even artistic talent, for Nancy could draw and color, and was among the best in her class as an art student, but the fact now bore down upon her with undisguised horror!
