used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
any person at all
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading I was working around the clock.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading I was working around the clock.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
deadlinenounUS /ˈdedlaɪn/
the point in time at which something must be completed
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
desperatelyadverbUS /ˈdespərətli/
with great urgency
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
doctoratenounUS /ˈdɑːktərət/
one of the highest earned academic degrees conferred by a university
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
draftnounUS /dræft/
a document ordering the payment of money; drawn by one person or bank on another
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
informingnounUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmɪŋ/
to furnish incriminating evidence to an officer of the law (usually in return for favors)
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
Matilda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
Matilda's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
minimumnounUS /ˈmɪnəməm/
the smallest possible quantity
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading If it had been a telegram informing me of her death I could not have taken time out to attend the funeral.
telegramnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
thesisnounUS /ˈθiːsəs/
an unproved statement put forward as a premise in an argument
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
at the time that
From this reading _Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town._ I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading I was working around the clock.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading It could not have come at a worse time.
but in spite of that
From this reading The deadline for my thesis was four days away and there was a minimum of five days of hard work to do on it yet.
