used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
(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 Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She could scarcely feel—her heart was stunned almost to insensibility.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
terminate
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could scarcely feel—her heart was stunned almost to insensibility.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
Drusilla
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
examinationnounUS /ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃən/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading She could scarcely feel—her heart was stunned almost to insensibility.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
fountainnounUS /ˈfaʊntən/
a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
frame-work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
insensibilitynoun
a lack of sensibility
From this reading She could scarcely feel—her heart was stunned almost to insensibility.
immediately past
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
the literary culture
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
feeling or showing love and affection
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
engage in
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
MEREDITHnounUS /ˈmerɪdɪθ/
United States civil rights leader whose college registration caused riots in traditionally segregated Mississippi (born in 1933)
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
muteadjectiveUS /mjuːt/
expressed without speech
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
OWENnounUS /ˈoʊən/
Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
perfidynounUS /ˈpɜːrfɪdi/
betrayal of a trust
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
raise the level or amount of something
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
Saviournoun
a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
only a very short time before
From this reading She could scarcely feel—her heart was stunned almost to insensibility.
try to get or reach
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
not in physical motion
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading She could scarcely feel—her heart was stunned almost to insensibility.
submittedverbUS /səbˈmɪtɪd/
inflected form of “submit” — refer for judgment or consideration
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
carry out
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Having finished reading all the letters and papers that had been submitted to her examination, in proof of the perfidy of her husband, Drusilla sat on, for a few moments, pale, still, and mute.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading One human hand my own to take, One human heart my own to raise, One loving human voice to break The silence of my days.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
weepverbUS /wiːp/
shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She would not weep now—the fountain of her tears was dry at last.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading Saviour, if this wild prayer be wrong And what I seek I may not find, Oh, make more hard, and stern, and strong The frame-work of my mind!—OWEN MEREDITH.
