used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
(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 Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And on the lowest grounds it would have been desertion.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
bodilyadverbUS /ˈbɑːdəli/
in bodily form
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
desertionnounUS /dɪˈzɜːrʃən/
withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility
From this reading And on the lowest grounds it would have been desertion.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading We therefore did stay.
psychological suffering
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
accept an excuse for
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
FrancesnounUS /ˈfrænsɪs/
plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
frictionnounUS /ˈfrɪkʃən/
a state of conflict between persons
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
groundsnounUS /ɡraʊndz/
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading And on the lowest grounds it would have been desertion.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And on the lowest grounds it would have been desertion.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
ill-judgedadjective
not given careful consideration
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
set down according to a plan
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
the act of departing
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
lowestadjectiveUS /ˈloʊəst/
lowest in rank or importance
From this reading And on the lowest grounds it would have been desertion.
Mabel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
obviousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbviəs/
easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
responsibilitynounUS /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
sister'snounUS /ˈsɪstərz/
possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
spectatornounUS /ˈspekteɪtər/
a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading At any rate, it was beyond my powers, and Frances was quite firm that she must stay.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading We therefore did stay.
a special situation
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It seems I became a mere spectator after that; my sister's lead was so assured for one thing, and, for another, the responsibility of leaving Mabel alone--Frances laid it bodily upon my shoulders--was a little more than I cared about.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
at the time that
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Moreover, when we all three met later in the day, things went on so exactly as before, so absolutely without friction or distress, that to present a sudden, obvious excuse for cutting our visit short seemed ill-judged.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And on the lowest grounds it would have been desertion.
