used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
accustomverbUS /əˈkʌstəm/
make psychologically or physically used (to something)
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood 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 I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
appalledadjectiveUS /əˈpɔːld/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Perhaps had they been noisy, she would have felt at once the superiority of "quiet children."
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
conscientiousadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːnʃiˈenʃəs/
characterized by extreme care and great effort
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
contemplateverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪt/
look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
curate's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
opinion or judgment
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
a social unit living together
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
fascinatedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtəd/
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Perhaps had they been noisy, she would have felt at once the superiority of "quiet children."
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
intermediateadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈmiːdiɪt/
lying between two extremes in time or space or state
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
Jane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
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 I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
Maydew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the force of workers available
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
used to form the superlative
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
noisyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪzi/
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
on one occasion
From this reading Perhaps had they been noisy, she would have felt at once the superiority of "quiet children."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
oversightnounUS /ˈoʊvərsaɪt/
an unintentional omission resulting from failure to notice something
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
PARISHnounUS /ˈpærɪʃ/
a local church community
From this reading THE PARISH SCHOOLMISTRESS.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps had they been noisy, she would have felt at once the superiority of "quiet children."
a future prospect or potential
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
punyadjectiveUS /ˈpjuːni/
inferior in strength or significance
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Perhaps had they been noisy, she would have felt at once the superiority of "quiet children."
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
SCHOOLMISTRESSnoun
a woman schoolteacher (especially one regarded as strict)
From this reading THE PARISH SCHOOLMISTRESS.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
superioritynounUS /ˌsuːpɪriˈɔːrɪti/
the quality of being superior
From this reading Perhaps had they been noisy, she would have felt at once the superiority of "quiet children."
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
express in words
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PARISH SCHOOLMISTRESS.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
very small
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
tumblingnounUS /ˈtʌmbəlɪŋ/
the gymnastic moves of an acrobat
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
precisely as stated
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
visionarynounUS /ˈvɪʒəneri/
a person given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for what is actually possible
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
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 They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
which person or people
From this reading They were not noisy, it is true; but that very fact alarmed Aunt Jane, who declared that, had they been "natural children," always tumbling about, and making the walls ring, she could have understood them.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I will not follow all the intermediate steps, and tell how the curate's family left their home, and went to London; or how Miss Maydew made the most conscientious effort to accustom herself to the little boys, and to contemplate the possibility of taking the oversight of them.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As it was, the two little tiny, puny old men appalled the old lady, who watched them with fascinated eyes, and a visionary terror, which grew stronger every day.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Perhaps had they been noisy, she would have felt at once the superiority of "quiet children."
