used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
anew
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
(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 He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To-day it was an oasis and a battle ground.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
associationsnounUS /əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “association” — a formal organization of people or groups of people
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading To-day it was an oasis and a battle ground.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
deftlyadverbUS /ˈdeftli/
with dexterity; in a dexterous manner
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
dissatisfactionnounUS /ˌdɪsætɪˈsfækʃən/
the feeling of being displeased and discontent
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
move gently or carefully
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
Ellen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
FranklinnounUS /ˈfræŋklɪn/
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
a young female
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading To-day it was an oasis and a battle ground.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
HalfwayadjectiveUS /ˈhæfˈweɪ/
equally distant from the extremes
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
a social unit living together
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To-day it was an oasis and a battle ground.
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 compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
a female domestic
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
necessitiesnounUS /nəˈsesɪtiz/
plural of “necessity” — the condition of being essential or indispensable
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
nurturedverbUS /ˈnɜːrtʃərd/
past form of “nurture” — help develop, help grow
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
oasisnounUS /oʊˈeɪsɪs/
a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
performedverbUS /pərˈfɔːrmd/
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
with low volume
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
rebellionnounUS /rɪˈbeljən/
refusal to accept some authority or code or convention
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
Identical; not different.
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He longed to give her all the aid of his own strength, and to place her again, as he felt he some day might, in something of the old ease and comfort, if not in the same surroundings.
To-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To-day it was an oasis and a battle ground.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading THE WAY OF A MAID The Halfway House was an oasis in the desert.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Franklin watched Mary Ellen as she passed quietly about the long, low room, engaged in household duties which she performed deftly as any servant.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He compared these rude necessities with the associations amid which he knew this girl had been nurtured, and the thought gave him nothing but dissatisfaction and rebellion.
