used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Instantly petticoat government became a possibility.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
(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 After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
applenounUS /ˈæpəl/
fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Instantly petticoat government became a possibility.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Certainly the devil must have invented petticoats.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading Certainly the devil must have invented petticoats.
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
the act of departing
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading Instantly petticoat government became a possibility.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
hankeringnounUS /ˈhæŋkərɪŋ/
a yearning for something or to do something
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Certainly the devil must have invented petticoats.
for this reason
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Instantly petticoat government became a possibility.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
inventedverbUS /ˌɪnˈventəd/
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading Certainly the devil must have invented petticoats.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
lectureverbUS /ˈlektʃər/
deliver a lecture or talk
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Certainly the devil must have invented petticoats.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
papnounUS /pæp/
worthless or oversimplified ideas
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
petticoatnounUS /ˈpetikoʊt/
undergarment worn under a skirt
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
petticoatsnounUS /ˈpetikoʊts/
plural of “petticoat” — undergarment worn under a skirt
From this reading Certainly the devil must have invented petticoats.
pocket-books
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
a future prospect or potential
From this reading Instantly petticoat government became a possibility.
probabilitynounUS /ˌprɑːbəˈbɪlətiː/
a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
filled with satisfaction
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
swooningadjectiveUS /ˈswuːnɪŋ/
weak and likely to lose consciousness
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Certainly the devil must have invented petticoats.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
showing sorrow
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading After EVE had finished up that little apple job, she went into the petticoat business, and--hence all our tears.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
wiseradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzər/
comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading Then, as her daughters became wiser, they invented the weeping business, the swooning business, and the curtain lecture business; they went for our pocket-books and they got them, and petticoat government became a probability.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Not satisfied with the pocket-books, they are now going for the business by means of which we fill the books, and oh, what a hankering they have for public pap!
