used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
(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 All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INVOCATION.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
associatedverbUS /əˈsoʊsieɪtɪd/
past form of “associate” — make a logical or causal connection
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
audiencesnounUS /ˈɑːdiənsəz/
plural of “audience” — a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
chagrinnounUS /ʃəˈɡrɪn/
strong feelings of embarrassment
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
Cunyngham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the truth was that he had never been passionately in love with Honnor Cunyngham.
dealtverbUS /delt/
inflected form of “deal” — act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
death-blow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
flatteredverbUS /ˈflætərd/
past form of “flatter” — praise somewhat dishonestly
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
gasnounUS /ɡæs/
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
the act of departing
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
Honnor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the truth was that he had never been passionately in love with Honnor Cunyngham.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
impracticableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpræktɪkəbəl/
not capable of being carried out or put into practice
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
INVOCATIONnounUS /ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən/
a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service
From this reading AN INVOCATION.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
lime-light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading But the truth was that he had never been passionately in love with Honnor Cunyngham.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
take in marriage
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
melodramaticadjectiveUS /ˌmelədrəˈmætɪk/
having the excitement and emotional appeal of melodrama
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
monstrousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːnstrəs/
abnormally large
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But the truth was that he had never been passionately in love with Honnor Cunyngham.
not any; not one
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
odornounUS /ˈoʊdər/
any property detected by the olfactory system
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
having or expressing strong emotions
From this reading Passionate love he did not much believe in; he associated it with lime-light and crowded audiences and the odor of gas.
passionatelyadverbUS /ˈpæʃənətli/
with passion
From this reading But the truth was that he had never been passionately in love with Honnor Cunyngham.
pettedverbUS /ˈpetɪd/
inflected form of “pet” — stroke or caress gently
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
action taken in return for an injury or offense
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
precisely, exactly
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
schemesnounUS /skiːmz/
plural of “scheme” — an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
in or at that place or location
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
a special situation
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading But the truth was that he had never been passionately in love with Honnor Cunyngham.
unreasoningadjectiveUS /ənˈriːznɪŋ/
not based on reason or evidence
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But the truth was that he had never been passionately in love with Honnor Cunyngham.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading All his vague, wild, impracticable hopes and schemes had suddenly received their death-blow; but there was nothing worse than that; he himself (as he imagined) had been dealt no desperate wound.
but in spite of that
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading For one thing, flattered and petted as this young man had been, he was neither unreasoning nor vain; that a woman should have refused to marry him did not seem to him a monstrous thing; she was surely within her right in saying no; while, on the other hand, he was neither going to die of chagrin nor yet to plan a melodramatic revenge.
