used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
(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 The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
a state at a particular time
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
direct the course of; manage or control
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
demeanverbUS /dɪˈmiːn/
reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
desperationnounUS /ˌdespərˈeɪʃən/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
determineverbUS /dəˈtɜːrmən/
establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
devolvedverbUS /dɪˈvɑːlvd/
past form of “devolve” — pass on or delegate to another
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
to the same degree (often followed by “as”)
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
expensenounUS /ɪkˈspens/
amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
extravagantadjectiveUS /ekˈstrævəɡənt/
unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
fortunesnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/
plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
hold firmly
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
the state of being honored
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
indelibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdelɪbəl/
cannot be removed or erased
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
having much knowledge or education
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
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 It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
for more time
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
magnanimitynoun
liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
MargueritenounUS /ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/
tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
not any; not one
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
parleynounUS /ˈpɑːrli/
a negotiation between enemies
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
partnernounUS /ˈpɑːrtnər/
a person's partner in marriage
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
preservedadjectiveUS /prəˈzɜːrvd/
prevented from decaying or spoiling and prepared for future use
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
proprietynounUS /prəˈpraɪəti/
correct or appropriate behavior
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
in the near future
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
stainnounUS /steɪn/
a soiled or discolored appearance
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/
having only essential or minimal features
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
to a sufficient degree
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It was not long before the unhappy partner of my fortunes was informed of what had passed.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
which person or people
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading In the condition in which I was, the whole direction of the business devolved upon Marguerite; and never did human creature demean herself with greater magnanimity and propriety.
in the company of; together with
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading What would have been their reception, if I had sufficiently possessed myself to parley with them on the subject, I am unable to determine.
wrecknounUS /rek/
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
wretches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wretches who had stripped me of my all soon made their appearance to claim what was no longer mine.
but in spite of that
From this reading I could not have preserved the wreck of my property from their grasp, but at the expense of an indelible stain upon my honour; yet my desperation would probably have led me to a conduct equally extravagant and useless.
