used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
AcademenounUS /ˈækədiːm/
the academic world
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
matters of personal concern
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
Artemisianoun
any of various composite shrubs or herbs of the genus Artemisia having aromatic green or greyish foliage
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
AthensnounUS /ˈæθənz/
the capital and largest city of Greece; named after Athena (its patron goddess)
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
for the reason that
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
bedriddenadjectiveUS /ˈbedrɪdən/
confined to bed (by illness)
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
consistedverbUS /kənˈsɪstəd/
past form of “consist” — originate
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
the act of departing
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
having the place or position changed
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
dweltverbUS /dwelt/
inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
gardenernounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənər/
someone who takes care of a garden
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
guardiannounUS /ˈɡɑːrdiən/
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
a social unit living together
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
invalidnounUS /ˈɪnvələd/
someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or injury
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
held dear
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
joined in matrimony
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
take in marriage
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
MelissanounUS /məˈlɪsə/
a genus of Old World mints of the family Labiatae
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
niecenounUS /niːs/
a daughter of your brother or sister
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
not any; not one
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
noisesnounUS /ˈnɔɪzɪz/
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
inflected form of “permit” — consent to, give permission
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
Philox
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
primeadjectiveUS /praɪm/
first in rank or degree
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
routinenounUS /ruːˈtiːn/
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
stewardnounUS /ˈstuːərd/
someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
suburbnounUS /ˈsʌbərb/
a residential district located on the outskirts of a city
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
Tolmon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She loved her niece; but she was not sorry to have her marry, because, as she said, her own hold upon life was so uncertain, and besides, the match was a brilliant one.
a message informing of danger
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
well-orderedadjective
ordered well
From this reading She had never married, and no departure from the routine of her well-ordered house was permitted.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading WARNING FROM THE GODS A few miles west of Athens, in the suburb of Academe, dwelt Melissa, aunt and guardian of Artemisia.
which person or people
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading She was an invalid, bedridden for the greater part of the year, and she had chosen to live in the country that she might not be disturbed by the city noises.
a late time of life
From this reading Her household consisted of Philox, her steward, who had managed her affairs for a score of years, Tolmon, her gardener, and a dozen women slaves who, like their mistress, had passed the prime of life.
