Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

-ing form of “afflict” — cause great unhappiness for; distress

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

for the reason that

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

the use of brief expressions

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

past form of “convert” — change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

expletives used informally as intensifiers

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

feelings of ardent love

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

the boundary of a surface

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

in a hopeless manner

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

conformity or harmony

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

brief and to the point; effectively cut short

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

held dear

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

used to form the superlative

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

having or expressing strong emotions

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

return to an original state

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

the place where some action occurs

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

(of a contract or will or other document) having a signature written at the end

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

displeasing to the senses

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading It was the time and scene, the inference, too, that made it so afflicting: the idea that Mabel believed herself so utterly and hopelessly lost-- beyond recovery damned.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There was nothing so unusual or tremendous in the short recital, nothing indeed I might not have already guessed for myself.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading That she had loved him with so passionate a devotion that she had given her soul into his keeping, this certainly I had not divined--probably because I had never thought about it one way or the other.

during the time that

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had "converted" her, I knew, but that she had subscribed whole-heartedly to that most cruel and ugly of his dogmas--this was new to me, and came with a certain shock as I heard it.

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.

in the company of; together with

From this reading And then, while that dreadful house stood listening about us in the early hours of this chill morning upon the edge of winter, she told me, with laconic brevity, things about Mabel that I heard as from a distance.