at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She read well, did Sissy, as she did most things.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
bodilyadverbUS /ˈbɑːdəli/
in bodily form
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
CarthagenounUS /ˈkɑːrθədʒ/
an ancient city state on the north African coast near modern Tunis; founded by Phoenicians; destroyed and rebuilt by Romans; razed by Arabs in 697
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
childishadjectiveUS /ˈtʃaɪldɪʃ/
indicating a lack of maturity
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
consumedverbUS /kənˈsuːmd/
past form of “consume” — eat up completely, as with great appetite
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She read well, did Sissy, as she did most things.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
exasperatedadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzæspəreɪtɪd/
greatly annoyed; out of patience
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
the state or fact of existing
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
the act of giving
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
intelligentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/
in an intelligent manner
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
legaladjectiveUS /ˈliːɡəl/
established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
Madigan's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
meternounUS /ˈmiːtər/
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
used to form the superlative
From this reading She read well, did Sissy, as she did most things.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
philosophynounUS /fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi/
The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. (Triết học, đạo lý nhân sinh.)
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
plowverbUS /plaʊ/
to break and turn over earth especially with a plow
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
seventeenadjectiveUS /ˈsevənˈtiːn/
being one more than sixteen
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She read well, did Sissy, as she did most things.
SissynounUS /ˈsɪsi/
a timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
soothedverbUS /suːðd/
past form of “soothe” — give moral or emotional strength to
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
sownadjectiveUS /soʊn/
sprinkled with seed
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading She read well, did Sissy, as she did most things.
thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/
having intellectual depth
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "'Then the plow was passed over the soil to put an end in legal form to the existence of the city.
tunedverbUS /tuːnd/
past form of “tune” — adjust for (better) functioning
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
utterancenounUS /ˈʌtərəns/
the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Little by little Madigan's sharp, quick steps became less and less the bodily expression of exasperated nerves, and tuned themselves to the meter of that pretty, childish voice, intelligently giving utterance to the thoughtful philosophy that had always soothed him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "'Carthage burned seventeen days before it was entirely consumed,'" read Sissy.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading She read well, did Sissy, as she did most things.
in or at the place that
From this reading House might never be built, corn might never be sown, upon the ground where it had stood.'"
