used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
autumnaladjectiveUS /ɔːˈtʌmnəl/
of or characteristic of or occurring in autumn
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
confidentialadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːnfəˈdenʃəl/
entrusted with private information and the confidence of another
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
a small house with a single story
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
wanted intensely
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
firesidenounUS /ˈfaɪərsaɪd/
an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room)
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
foreseeverbUS /fɔːrˈsiː/
realize beforehand
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
yet to be or coming
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
something acquired without compensation
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
identifiedadjectiveUS /aɪˈdentəfaɪd/
having the identity known or established
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
involuntarilyadverbUS /ˌɪnvoʊˈlʌntərɪli/
against your will
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
musingnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪŋ/
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
on one occasion
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
and nothing more
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
literature in metrical form
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
The protective care of God or nature as a spiritual power. (Sự quan phòng, thiên ý phù hộ.)
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
reuniteverbUS /ˌriːuːˈnaɪt/
have a reunion; unite again
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
saddenedverbUS /ˈsædənd/
past form of “sadden” — make unhappy
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
sadnessnounUS /ˈsædnəs/
emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
Identical; not different.
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
SavoynounUS /səˈvɔɪ/
a geographical region of historical importance; a former duchy in what is now southwestern France, western Switzerland, and northwestern Italy
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
scatterverbUS /ˈskætər/
to cause to separate and go in different directions
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
sportnounUS /spɔːrt/
an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/
inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
believed likely
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
tea-table
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
up to a particular time
From this reading The evening had been spent till midnight in reading, in confidential talk, in musing, in sadness, and in smiles.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
unitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/
characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
not known
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
vistasnounUS /ˈvɪstəz/
plural of “vista” — the visual percept of a region
From this reading These distant vistas of the horizon of our future lives had saddened us, and we remained silent round the little tea-table on which we were leaning.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Only once I involuntarily betrayed before her the poor gift of poetry that I possessed, and which she neither suspected nor desired in me.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
in the company of; together with
From this reading My friend Louis--had come to stay a few days with us.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading We wondered to see three young lives, which a short time before were unknown to each other, now united and identified beneath the same roof, at the same fireside, with the same murmur of autumnal winds around, in a cottage of the mountains of Savoy; we strove to foresee by what sport of Providence, or Chance, the stormy winds of life might scatter or reunite us once more.
