used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading All this kept his mind in a state of new and unaccustomed activity.
adheredverbUS /ædˈhɪrd/
past form of “adhere” — be compatible or in accordance with
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
(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 Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
fairy-tale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
set up or found
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
generationnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃən/
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
hoveredverbUS /ˈhʌvərd/
past form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
and nothing more
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading All this kept his mind in a state of new and unaccustomed activity.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
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 Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
held up in the air
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
longinglyadverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɪŋli/
in a yearning manner
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading All this kept his mind in a state of new and unaccustomed activity.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
obscurelyadverb
in an obscure manner
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
many times at short intervals
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
pathsnounUS /pæðz/
plural of “path” — a course of conduct
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
regionsnounUS /ˈriːdʒənz/
plural of “region” — the extended spatial location of something
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading All this kept his mind in a state of new and unaccustomed activity.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
swoopedverbUS /swuːpt/
past form of “swoop” — move down on as if in an attack
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
a special situation
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading All this kept his mind in a state of new and unaccustomed activity.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
unaccustomedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈkʌstəmd/
unusual or unfamiliar
From this reading All this kept his mind in a state of new and unaccustomed activity.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
wearisomeadjectiveUS /ˈwɪrisəm/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading He was not used to thinking things out for himself, but had until now always adhered to the ideas which had been handed down from generation to generation as established—and he often found it difficult and wearisome.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
in or at the place that
From this reading He did not quite understand where everything was to come from, but that was just the thing he must discover.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But now he perceived new paths, which for all those that were in need led on to fortune, just as the “Great Power” had fancied in the hour of his death.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
which person or people
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
the least favorable outcome
From this reading Hitherto Fortune had always hovered before his eyes, obscurely, like a fairy-tale, as something that suddenly swooped down upon a man and lifted him to higher regions, while all those who were left behind gazed longingly after him—that was the worst of it!
