used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
acheverbUS /eɪk/
feel physical pain
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
cause to be bored
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
buryverbUS /ˈberi/
cover from sight
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
compartmentnounUS /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/
a space into which an area is subdivided
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
concentrateverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəntreɪt/
make denser, stronger, or purer
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
remove the dust from
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
emptiedverbUS /ˈemptid/
inflected form of “empty” — make void or empty of contents
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
the act of departing
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
OliveadjectiveUS /ˈɑːləv/
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
on the contrary
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
sweetsnounUS /swiːts/
plural of “sweet” — English phonetician; one of the founders of modern phonetics (1845-1912)
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading It seemed to her that now indeed life was emptied of all sweets and the taste of it was as dust and ashes in her mouth.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
create by training and teaching
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading She had a book; it lay open on her lap, and she had tried to read, but the lines all ran together and the effort to concentrate her thoughts made her head ache.
experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
From this reading She was very unhappy.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was very unhappy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Olive was alone in the compartment of the train that bore her away from Florence and from Jean.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading She was leaving youth and joy behind; or rather, she had killed them and left a man to bury them.
