used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading It was bitter, but it was human.
bleedingnounUS /ˈbliːdɪŋ/
the flow of blood from a ruptured blood vessel
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
blightedadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪtɪd/
affected by blight; anything that mars or prevents growth or prosperity
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
bruisedverbUS /bruːzd/
past form of “bruise” — injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was bitter, but it was human.
crushedadjectiveUS /krʌʃt/
treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
CursesnounUS /ˈkɜːrsɪz/
plural of “curse” — profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading Suffering and trouble drive off friends, like a pestilence.
let fall to the ground
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
coins made of gold
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading It was bitter, but it was human.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was bitter, but it was human.
jewelsnounUS /ˈdʒuːəlz/
plural of “jewel” — a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
mildadjectiveUS /maɪld/
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
pestilencenounUS /ˈpestələns/
a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
From this reading Suffering and trouble drive off friends, like a pestilence.
participate in games or sport
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
strivingnounUS /ˈstraɪvɪŋ/
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
a state of acute pain
From this reading Suffering and trouble drive off friends, like a pestilence.
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading 'Curses on them! curses on them!' muttered he; 'the false ones!
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
thickenverbUS /ˈθɪkən/
make thick or thicker
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
tormentsnounUS /ˈtɔːrments/
plural of “torment” — unbearable physical pain
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
a source of difficulty
From this reading Suffering and trouble drive off friends, like a pestilence.
plural of “trouble” — a source of difficulty
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
precisely as stated
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
at the time that
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
at any time that; every time that
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
yearnsverbUS /jɜːrnz/
third-person singular of “yearn” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading Whenever troubles thicken about a man; when he is blighted and crushed to the earth; when his heart is bruised and bleeding, and yearns for the love and sympathy of those about him; when a mild word, a kind look, are of more worth than gold or jewels, _then_ friends drop off.
yieldingadjectiveUS /ˈjiːldɪŋ/
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading When I was striving like a very beast of burden, yielding body and soul to torments, for her sake, to play me false!
