used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
(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 Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
astiradjective
out of bed
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
the sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
CatherinenounUS /ˈkæθərən/
first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
dawnedverbUS /dɔːnd/
past form of “dawn” — become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
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 If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
helpsnounUS /helps/
plural of “help” — the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
humblyadverbUS /ˈhʌmbli/
in a humble manner
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
increasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/
a quantity that is added
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
interspersedverbUS /ˌɪntərˈspɜːrst/
past form of “intersperse” — place at intervals in or among
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
Jack'snounUS /dʒæks/
possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
lesseningnounUS /ˈlesənɪŋ/
a change downward
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
the literary culture
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
engage in
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
by chance
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
meditatingverbUS /ˈmedəteɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “meditate” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
meditationsnounUS /ˌmedɪˈteɪʃənz/
plural of “meditation” — continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
not any; not one
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
the local environment
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
pleadverbUS /pliːd/
appeal or request earnestly
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
To recall to mind.
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
RossnounUS /rɑːs/
Scottish explorer who led Arctic expeditions that yielded geographic discoveries while searching for the Northwest Passage (1777-1856)
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Fate of a Letter Next morning dawned fair.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
a source of difficulty
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
except if; if not
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
the act of using
From this reading If I remember all the time that no action of mine can be the least use unless God helps me, then I am not likely to do harm.'
precisely as stated
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading 'I must go to work very humbly,' she told herself, 'or else I may make some serious mistake, and maybe increase instead of lessening Uncle Jack's trouble.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading These meditations were interspersed with earnest prayers, and with a study of those parts of the Bible which she thought would best help her in her task.
the act of creating written works
From this reading Catherine was astir early, as was her custom; but, instead of writing letters, devoted all her time to meditating upon her resolution to plead with Uncle Ross.
