used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
ADOPTEDadjectiveUS /əˈdɑːptɪd/
acquired as your own by free choice
From this reading THE ADOPTED DAUGHTER.
in the past
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
(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 The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
bestowverbUS /bɪˈstoʊ/
present
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
bewitchingadjective
capturing interest as if by a spell
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
exhale hard
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
brightnessnounUS /ˈbraɪtnəs/
the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
comparisonnounUS /kəmˈperəsən/
the act of examining resemblances
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
Courcy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
a female human offspring
From this reading THE ADOPTED DAUGHTER.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
the organ of sight
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
frownsnounUS /fraʊnz/
plural of “frown” — a facial expression of dislike or displeasure
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
griefs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
heaviestadjectiveUS /ˈheviəst/
superlative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
to a considerable degree
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
a polite name for any woman
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
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 And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
Maude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
used to form the superlative
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
mournedverbUS /mɔːrnd/
past form of “mourn” — feel sadness
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
PRAED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --PRAED.
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
retraceverbUS /riˈtreɪs/
to go back over again
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
star-lit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
swan-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ADOPTED DAUGHTER.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
vastlyadverbUS /ˈvæstli/
to an exceedingly great extent or degree
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
Villiers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
whitenessnounUS /ˈwaɪtnəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The sudden death of the Earl De Courcy fell heavily on the hearts of Lord Villiers and Lady Maude; but they mourned as those on whom the heaviest blow Fate can bestow has already fallen, and all other griefs seemed light in comparison.
belonging to which person
From this reading "A brow whose frowns are vastly grand And eye of star-lit brightness: A swan-like neck, and arm and hand Of most bewitching whiteness."
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
in the company of; together with
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And now, reader, are you willing to retrace your steps with me, and go back to those we left behind, long ago, in England?
