used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
abilitynounUS /əˈbɪlətiː/
the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
battalionnounUS /bəˈtæljən/
an army unit usually consisting of a headquarters and three or more companies
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
brought into existence
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
caresnounUS /kerz/
plural of “care” — the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
dearly loved
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
disasternounUS /dɪˈzæstər/
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
distractedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstræktəd/
having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
DuckynounUS /ˈdʌkiː/
a special loved one
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
divisible by two
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
ever-increasing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/
Strictly particular and correct.
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
brought together in one place
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
governednounUS /ˈɡʌvərnd/
the body of people who are citizens of a particular government
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
Hilda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
the sound of laughing
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
the act of departing
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
something that is lost
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
mournverbUS /mɔːrn/
feel sadness
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
Nealie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
nurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
and nothing more
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
Plumstead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
professionaladjectiveUS /prəˈfeʃənəl/
engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
responsibilitiesnounUS /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪlətiz/
plural of “responsibility” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
shadowedadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊd/
filled with shade
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
sunkadjectiveUS /sʌŋk/
doomed to extinction
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
plural of “trouble” — a source of difficulty
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
unbrokenadjectiveUS /ənˈbroʊkən/
marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
UntilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/
in a vague way
From this reading Then had come a cloud of black trouble, the exact nature of which she did not understand even now, only vaguely she had gathered that it was something professional.
precisely as stated
From this reading She had been at the head of an ever-increasing nursery, and she had governed her small kingdom to the very best of her ability.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
(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 It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
belonging to which person
From this reading Then Ducky, whose name was Hilda Grace, had been born, and the dear mother had sunk out of life, leaving a distracted husband and seven children to mourn their loss.
worriesnounUS /ˈwɜːriz/
plural of “worry” — something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading It was well for Nealie Plumstead that she could mostly laugh in spite of troubles, for her life had been shadowed by a great disaster which had brought in its turn a battalion of cares, worries, and responsibilities.
a late time of life
From this reading Until she was almost twelve years old life had been one unbroken happiness.
