Chapter I · The Hired Folk

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ’Taint none o’ aour business, Alviry.”

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ’Taint none o’ aour business, Alviry.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading “Ole Sabriny’s got her back up this time to stay.”

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading ’Taint none o’ aour business, Alviry.”

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

the property of holding together and retaining its shape

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

the dead body of a human being

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

a quad with a square body

From this reading “Well, let ’em flare, says I.

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

a shape that spreads outward

From this reading “Well, let ’em flare, says I.

a sudden intense happening

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

resembling flour in fine powdery texture

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

front part of a vessel or aircraft

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “Ole Sabriny’s got her back up this time to stay.”

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “Well, let ’em flare, says I.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

English poet; remembered primarily as the author of an epic poem describing humanity's fall from grace (1608-1674)

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

not one, and not any

From this reading ’Taint none o’ aour business, Alviry.”

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading ’Taint none o’ aour business, Alviry.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Ole Sabriny’s got her back up this time to stay.”

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Ole Sabriny’s got her back up this time to stay.”

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading “Well, let ’em flare, says I.

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading “Ole Sabriny’s got her back up this time to stay.”

not in physical motion

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

the state of being contaminated

From this reading ’Taint none o’ aour business, Alviry.”

the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

up to a particular time

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading “Ole Sabriny’s got her back up this time to stay.”

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Ef ther’ ain’t a flare-up in _this_ haouse ’fore long, I miss _my_ guess,” said Alvira, as she kneaded the pie-crust, and pulled it out between her floury fingers to measure its consistency.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading “Ole Sabriny’s got her back up this time to stay.”

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “I knaow, Milton; but still it seems to me she might wait at least till th’ corpse was aout o’ th’ haouse.”

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “Well, let ’em flare, says I.