used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
(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 To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE CAUSE REVEALED BUT NOT REMOVED.
assets available for use in the production of further assets
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading THE CAUSE REVEALED BUT NOT REMOVED.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
ConfederacynounUS /kənˈfedərəsi/
the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
Erma
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
famedadjectiveUS /feɪmd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
ill-fatedadjective
marked by or promising bad fortune
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
intentsnounUS /ˌɪnˈtents/
plural of “intent” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
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 Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
NegronounUS /ˈniːɡroʊ/
a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE CAUSE REVEALED BUT NOT REMOVED.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
orphannounUS /ˈɔːrfən/
a child who has lost both parents
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
purposesnounUS /ˈpɜːrpəsəz/
plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
separated in relationship by a given degree of descent
From this reading THE CAUSE REVEALED BUT NOT REMOVED.
past form of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading THE CAUSE REVEALED BUT NOT REMOVED.
RichmondnounUS /ˈrɪtʃmənd/
capital of the state of Virginia located in the east central part of the state; was capital of the Confederacy during the American Civil War
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
texturenounUS /ˈtekstʃər/
the feel of a surface or a fabric
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CAUSE REVEALED BUT NOT REMOVED.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
Vanoun
a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The scene of the opening of our story was Richmond, Va., the far famed capital of the ill-fated Southern Confederacy.
a Caucasian
From this reading Though her parents had been silent on the subject, Erma now knew from the color of her skin and the texture of her hair that her father must have been white.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
Wysong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To all intents and purposes, Erma Wysong was an orphan.
a late time of life
From this reading Her mother, a Negro woman, was now dead, having passed away two years since.
