used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
(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 They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She had understood that that must be so before he went.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She had understood that that must be so before he went.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Still, they are infinitely better than nothing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
Carlita
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
dearly loved
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
deplorablyadverb
in an unfortunate or deplorable manner
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
feweradjectiveUS /ˈfjuːər/
(comparative of “few” used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
yet to be or coming
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
girlishadjectiveUS /ˈɡɜːrlɪʃ/
befitting or characteristic of a young girl
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
gottenverbUS /ˈɡɑːtən/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
infinitelyadverbUS /ˈɪnfənətli/
without bounds
From this reading Still, they are infinitely better than nothing.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
the literary culture
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
feeling or showing love and affection
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
mailnounUS /meɪl/
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
messagesnounUS /ˈmesədʒəz/
plural of “message” — a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
MexiconounUS /ˈmeksəkoʊ/
a republic in southern North America; became independent from Spain in 1810
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading She had understood that that must be so before he went.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Still, they are infinitely better than nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
Olney's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
promisesnounUS /ˈprɑːməsəz/
plural of “promise” — a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still, they are infinitely better than nothing.
substituteverbUS /ˈsʌbstətuːt/
put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Still, they are infinitely better than nothing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Still, they are infinitely better than nothing.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading She had understood that that must be so before he went.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It was a very lonely time for Carlita, those weeks that followed.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She had understood that that must be so before he went.
at the time that
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
in or at the place that
From this reading They came every day at first, filled with all those messages so dear to a girlish heart; then when he had gotten further down into Mexico, where the mail service is so deplorably bad, of course they became fewer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Of course she had Olney's letters, letters filled with loving promises and words of hope for the future; but letters are a poor substitute for the presence of one we love.
