used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
adornverbUS /əˈdɔːrn/
make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
eat an early morning meal
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
the act of breaking something
From this reading BREAKING DOWN.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
climbverbUS /klaɪm/
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
creepsnounUS /kriːps/
a disease of cattle and sheep attributed to a dietary deficiency; characterized by anemia and softening of the bones and a slow stiff gait
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading BREAKING DOWN.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I wait for the fruit," said Nelly meekly.
the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading "I wait for the fruit," said Nelly meekly.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
to a considerable degree
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
Matty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
meeklyadverbUS /ˈmiːkli/
in a submissive or spiritless manner
From this reading "I wait for the fruit," said Nelly meekly.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
needleworknounUS /ˈniːdəlwɜːrk/
a creation created or assembled by needle and thread
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
Nelly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
Plain-work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
plantsnounUS /plænts/
plural of “plant” — buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
there's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "I wait for the fruit," said Nelly meekly.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading "It does not climb high like mine, to adorn the walls; it creeps heavily along the ground.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The first care of Matty and Nelly in the morning, after they had taken their breakfast, was to water their needlework plants.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I can't think," said Matty to her sister, "how you could be so silly as to choose that ugly Plain-work,--I'm sure there's not a bit of beauty in it."
