used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
accomplishverbUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/
put in effect
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
(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 camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
antnounUS /ænt/
social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
CartersnounUS /ˈkɑːrtərz/
plural of “carter” — Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)
From this reading Not that it had been a month of holidays for the Carters, far from it.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
DISCUSSIONnounUS /dɪˈskʌʃən/
an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Not that it had been a month of holidays for the Carters, far from it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Not that it had been a month of holidays for the Carters, far from it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Not that it had been a month of holidays for the Carters, far from it.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
to a considerable degree
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
holidaysnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Not that it had been a month of holidays for the Carters, far from it.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The camp had been like an ant hill all during that month of holidays.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
undertakenverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪkən/
inflected form of “undertake” — enter upon an activity or enterprise
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
precisely as stated
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A DISCUSSION August was over and our girls were not sorry.
at the time that
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
which person or people
From this reading They were two hands short almost all of the month which made the work fall very heavily on the ones who were left.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading There had been times when they did not see how they could accomplish the work they had undertaken.
