used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
aimlessadjectiveUS /ˈeɪmləs/
aimlessly drifting
From this reading But her work was aimless and to no purpose.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But her work was aimless and to no purpose.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But her work was aimless and to no purpose.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
dishnounUS /dɪʃ/
a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading Janet, lassie, what was it I was doing?"
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
divisible by two
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
feverishadjectiveUS /ˈfiːvərɪʃ/
marked by intense agitation or emotion
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
destroyed or killed
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Janet, lassie, what was it I was doing?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
industrynounUS /ˈɪndəstri/
the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
Janet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Janet, lassie, what was it I was doing?"
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
lassienounUS /ˈlæsi/
a girl or young woman who is unmarried
From this reading Janet, lassie, what was it I was doing?"
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 When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
musenounUS /mjuːz/
in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
not any; not one
From this reading But her work was aimless and to no purpose.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading But her work was aimless and to no purpose.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
past form of “rouse” — become active
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
saucernounUS /ˈsɔːsər/
something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
carry out
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Even in the early days of her strength she had never been so busy in her home.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
tidying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/
in a vague way
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But her work was aimless and to no purpose.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Janet, lassie, what was it I was doing?"
What's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
at the time that
From this reading When John had gone his mother roused herself to a feverish industry.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading But her work was aimless and to no purpose.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading When tidying she would take a cup without its saucer from the table, and set off with it through the room, but stopping suddenly in the middle of the floor, would fall into a muse with the dish in her hand; coming to herself long afterwards to ask vaguely, "What's this cup for?...
