used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
additionaladjectiveUS /əˈdɪʃənəl/
further or added
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
alchymist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
ambiguousadjectiveUS /æmˈbɪɡjuːəs/
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
anguishnounUS /ˈæŋɡwɪʃ/
extreme mental distress
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
arraignedverbUS /ərˈeɪnd/
past form of “arraign” — call before a court to answer an indictment
From this reading But now she saw in me a man of blasted reputation, arraigned and imprisoned for robbery and murder.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
blastedadjectiveUS /ˈblæstəd/
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading But now she saw in me a man of blasted reputation, arraigned and imprisoned for robbery and murder.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
degradingadjectiveUS /dɪˈɡreɪdɪŋ/
harmful to the mind or morals
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
destroyernounUS /dɪˈstrɔɪər/
a small fast lightly armored but heavily armed warship
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
DresdennounUS /ˈdrezdɪn/
a city in southeastern Germany on the Elbe River; it was almost totally destroyed by British air raids in 1945
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
a social unit living together
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
franknessnounUS /ˈfræŋknəs/
the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
idolnounUS /ˈaɪdəl/
a material effigy that is worshipped
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
not admitting of penetration or passage into or through
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
imprisonedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈprɪzənd/
being in captivity
From this reading But now she saw in me a man of blasted reputation, arraigned and imprisoned for robbery and murder.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
insensibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsensəbəl/
incapable of physical sensation
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
a republic in southern Europe on the Italian Peninsula; was the core of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But now she saw in me a man of blasted reputation, arraigned and imprisoned for robbery and murder.
MargueritenounUS /ˌmɑːrɡərˈiːt/
tall leafy-stemmed Eurasian perennial with white flowers; widely naturalized; often placed in genus Chrysanthemum
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading But now she saw in me a man of blasted reputation, arraigned and imprisoned for robbery and murder.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
of an obscure nature
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
plainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
plural of “quality” — an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
remaindernounUS /rɪˈmeɪndər/
something left after other parts have been taken away
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
the state of being held in high esteem and honor
From this reading But now she saw in me a man of blasted reputation, arraigned and imprisoned for robbery and murder.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
revoltedverbUS /rɪˈvoʊltɪd/
past form of “revolt” — make revolution
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
robberynounUS /ˈrɑːbəri/
larceny by threat of violence
From this reading But now she saw in me a man of blasted reputation, arraigned and imprisoned for robbery and murder.
rumournounUS /ˈruːmər/
gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
cut with a saw
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
a male human offspring
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
spontaneouslyadverbUS /spɑːnˈteɪniəsli/
in a spontaneous manner
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
viewedverbUS /vjuːd/
past form of “view” — deem to be
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But our situation was now such as to give additional anguish to her serious thoughts.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Having rejoined the remainder of my family, we set out together for the plains of Italy.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She had then regarded me as ambiguous, mysterious, and impenetrable, qualities from which the frankness of her nature spontaneously revolted; she saw in me the destroyer of her son, the idol of her heart; she believed me an alchymist, a character which she viewed as base, degrading, and insensible; she had heard that rumour had been busy with my fame.
in the company of; together with
From this reading My first interview with Marguerite after my return from Dresden had been melancholy.
