used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
acquireverbUS /əˈkwaɪər/
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
(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 One word will explain all.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
befallsverbUS /bɪˈfɔːlz/
third-person singular of “befall” — become of; happen to
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
Beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
calamitynounUS /kəˈlæməti/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
exchangedadjectiveUS /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒd/
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading One word will explain all.
Favoral
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
framesnounUS /freɪmz/
plural of “frame” — the framework for a pair of eyeglasses
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
Gilberte
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
irreparableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈrepərəbəl/
impossible to repair, rectify, or amend
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
Marius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
mistrustverbUS /mɪˈstrʌst/
regard as untrustworthy; regard with suspicion; have no faith or confidence in
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
Mlle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
Mme
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
a particular point in time
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One word will explain all.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
selectedadjectiveUS /səˈlektɪd/
chosen in preference to another
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.
tremornounUS /ˈtremər/
an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear)
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
precisely as stated
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
at the time that
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading One word will explain all.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so.”
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading One word will explain all.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Returning to Mme. Favoral, “You do not understand, madame,” he went on, “why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you.
