used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
anew
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
how long something has existed
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
(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 All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
aversionnounUS /əˈvɜːrʒən/
a feeling of intense dislike
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
brought into existence
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
a youthful male person
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/
for a short time
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
a young person of either sex
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
child-life
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
dwellverbUS /dwel/
think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
half-brother's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
incompleteadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkəmˈpliːt/
not complete or total; not completed
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
engage in
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
joined in matrimony
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
make reference to
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
absolutely essential
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
not any; not one
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
go across or through
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
recollectionnounUS /ˌrekəˈlekʃən/
the ability to recall past occurrences
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
retainverbUS /rɪˈteɪn/
hold back within
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
stepmothernounUS /ˈstepmʌðər/
the wife of your father by a subsequent marriage
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Thus I lost both my parents at too early an age to retain the slightest recollection of them.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading All that I can do is to dwell upon it as briefly as possible.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
at the time that
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
in the company of; together with
From this reading By his second marriage my father had one child, a boy; my half-brother's name was Louis, and by him and my stepmother I was regarded with aversion--by her, indeed, with a much stronger feeling, for when I was old enough to reason out things for myself I learned that she hated me.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Were it not necessary I would make no mention of my child-life, but this record would be incomplete were I to pass it over in silence.
a late time of life
From this reading My mother died a few weeks after I was born; my father waited but twelve months before he married again, and in less than two years his second wife was a widow.
