Chapter V · An Explanation

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

the state of being absent

From this reading Was the sense of her husband's absence growing real and painful?

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

the protruding part of the lower jaw

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

every day; without missing a day

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

a city in eastern Iowa on the Mississippi River across from Moline and Rock Island

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

the act of departing

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

a boxlike container in a piece of furniture; made so as to slide in and out

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading Was the sense of her husband's absence growing real and painful?

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

possessive form of “helen” — (Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading Was the sense of her husband's absence growing real and painful?

plural of “implement” — instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

and nothing more

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

set down according to a plan

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

clean or organized

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

not any; not one

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

causing physical or psychological pain

From this reading Was the sense of her husband's absence growing real and painful?

plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

by chance

From this reading Perhaps so.

lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

past form of “range” — change or be different within limits

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading Was the sense of her husband's absence growing real and painful?

a musical composition that has been completed or enriched by someone other than the composer

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

past form of “rouse” — become active

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

a general conscious awareness

From this reading Was the sense of her husband's absence growing real and painful?

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Perhaps so.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

in or at that place or location

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

in spite of the fact that

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

unaccustomed or unusual

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Had the effort of this unwonted method of communication with him roused her to a realisation of the great change that had fallen upon her daily life?

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Was the sense of her husband's absence growing real and painful?

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading But there was more perplexity than pain in Helen's face, and Griswold's departure, though painful, was in no way perplexing.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

in a wistful manner

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.

the act of creating written works

From this reading Helen Griswold laid down her pen; placed the sheet of paper which she had just covered with her neat writing in a drawer of her davenport; ranged her natty desk implements, and then, resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking wistfully before her, she fell a-thinking.