used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
acquiescedverbUS /ˌækwiˈest/
past form of “acquiesce” — to agree or express agreement
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
matters of personal concern
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
AssemblynounUS /əˈsembli/
a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
brethrennounUS /ˈbreðrən/
(plural) the lay members of a male religious order
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
CommunitynounUS /kəˈmjuːnəti/
a group of people living in a particular local area
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
companionshipnounUS /kəmˈpænjənʃɪp/
the state of being with someone
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
consultingverbUS /kənˈsʌltɪŋ/
-ing form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
without stop or interruption
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
prepare a hot meal
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
debtnounUS /det/
the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
feelings of ardent love
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
EzranounUS /ˈezrə/
a Jewish priest and scribe sent by the Persian king to restore Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
fortnightnounUS /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/
a period of fourteen consecutive days
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
gearnounUS /ɡɪr/
a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
destroyed or killed
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
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 long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
not any; not one
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
and nothing more
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
PerfectionnounUS /pərˈfekʃən/
the state of being without a flaw or defect
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
pilingnounUS /ˈpaɪlɪŋ/
a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
repaidverbUS /riˈpeɪd/
inflected form of “repay” — pay back
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
be seated
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
UniversenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Ezra acquiesced in her devotion, and dared not ask himself how the debt was to be repaid that she was piling up against him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Life went on at Perfection City much the same as before, although to him it seemed as if the Universe was out of gear.
at the time that
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading A long weary fortnight had passed since the day when Ezra came home to find his wife gone.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He took no part or interest in the daily affairs of the Community, never coming to the Assembly or consulting with the brethren upon any matters.
withdrewverbUS /wɪθˈdruː/
inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He withdrew himself from the companionship of his fellows, and only that Madame continued to come to his house every day in order to cook his dinner and sit with him while he ate it, he would have been absolutely alone.
