(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 “This was how it all happened.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
put or pin the blame on
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
calmnessnounUS /ˈkɑːmnəs/
steadiness of mind under stress
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
commentnounUS /ˈkɑːment/
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
dramanounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
ejaculated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Your mother knew!” he ejaculated.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
exoneratingverbUS /ɪɡˈzɑːnəreɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “exonerate” — pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
forcingverbUS /ˈfɔːrsɪŋ/
-ing form of “force” — to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
GreshamnounUS /ˈɡreʃəm/
English financier (1519-1579)
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
Gresham'snounUS /ˈɡreʃəmz/
possessive form of “gresham” — English financier (1519-1579)
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “This was how it all happened.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Your mother knew!” he ejaculated.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This was how it all happened.”
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
imperceptibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmpərˈseptɪbəl/
impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “This was how it all happened.”
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 “Your mother knew!” he ejaculated.
lighteningnounUS /ˈlaɪtənɪŋ/
descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity that occurs late in pregnancy; the fetus is said to have dropped
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “Your mother knew!” he ejaculated.
a form of address for a man
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
omittingverbUS /oʊˈmɪtɪŋ/
inflected form of “omit” — prevent from being included or considered or accepted
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
and nothing more
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
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 And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
recitalnounUS /rəˈsaɪtəl/
the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
Shepton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
and nothing more
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
express in speech
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
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 And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
in or at that place or location
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “This was how it all happened.”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As she spoke there was an imperceptible lightening of Mr Gresham’s expression.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading And forcing herself to speak with perfect calmness, she began at the beginning of the story and told it all, simply and without comment, only omitting the names of any not immediately concerned in the little drama—such as those of Michael Gresham and Mrs Shepton—and carefully exonerating from all shadow of blame in the matter her sister and her parents.
the words that are spoken
From this reading “Of course,” she exclaimed, too bent upon her recital to feel surprise at his words.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Your mother knew!” he ejaculated.
