used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/
not characterized by emotion
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
congratulateverbUS /kənˈɡrætʃəleɪt/
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
excessiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsesɪv/
beyond normal limits
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
firesidenounUS /ˈfaɪərsaɪd/
an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room)
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
only a very short time before
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
I've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
and nothing more
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
set afire or burning
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
Lucienne's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
Mlle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
promptitudenoun
the characteristic of doing things without delay
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
propitiousadjectiveUS /prəˈpɪʃəs/
presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
sensitiveadjectiveUS /ˈsensətɪv/
responsive to physical stimuli
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
sticksnounUS /stɪks/
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But never had he dared to hope for an occasion as propitious as the one he had just seized.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The evening being quite chilly, he had lighted a few sticks; and, sitting by the fireside, he was waiting, his mind filled with vague hopes.
(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 He knew too well Mlle. Lucienne’s excessive pride and sensitive nature.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I should not be surprised if she were angry with me for what I’ve done,” he thought.
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet, after he had returned to his room, he hardly dared to congratulate himself upon the promptitude of his decision.
