used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
(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 Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
alterationnounUS /ˌɔːltərˈeɪʃən/
an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading “Do go and attend to your government duties!
attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
criticaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do go and attend to your government duties!
duchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading “Do go and attend to your government duties!
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 The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
Fabrizio
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
gaietynoun
a gay feeling
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Do go and attend to your government duties!
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading “Do go and attend to your government duties!
highest in quality
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
engage in
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
something you have to do
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
sadnessnounUS /ˈsædnəs/
emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
except for; apart from
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
express in words
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
precisely as stated
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
in or at the place that
From this reading The duchess arranged the most delightful evenings at the palace, where so much gaiety had never been seen before.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Nevertheless, through all this critical time she never gave a thought of sadness, save on one or two occasions, to the strange alteration which had taken place in Fabrizio.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Never did she make herself more attractive than during this winter, in spite of the fact that she was living in circumstances of the greatest danger.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young prince used to come very early to his mother’s pleasant evening parties, and she never failed to say to him:
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do go and attend to your government duties!
