adequateadjectiveUS /ˈædəkwət/
having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
From this reading But one thing was sure, she now had an adequate understanding of the mind of her husband.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But one thing was sure, she now had an adequate understanding of the mind of her husband.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
Crabb
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
placed crosswise
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
dismissedadjectiveUS /dɪˈsmɪst/
having lost your job
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
Doe'snounUS /doʊz/
possessive form of “doe” — the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading Thus ended the might-have-beens.
start firing a weapon
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
the one or ones belonging to her
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
Heywood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
provoking horror
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
a message received and understood
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
the literary culture
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
might-have-beensnounUS /ˈmaɪtəvbɪnz/
plural of “might-have-been” — an event that could have occurred but never did
From this reading Thus ended the might-have-beens.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading But one thing was sure, she now had an adequate understanding of the mind of her husband.
a particular point in time
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
MortimernounUS /ˈmɔːrtɪmər/
English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But one thing was sure, she now had an adequate understanding of the mind of her husband.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
on one occasion
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
packagenounUS /ˈpækədʒ/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
Patricia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
Patricia's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
Pennington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
by chance
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
phantomnounUS /ˈfæn.təm/
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
reflectingadjectiveUS /rɪˈflektɪŋ/
causing reflection or having a device that reflects
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading But one thing was sure, she now had an adequate understanding of the mind of her husband.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Thus ended the might-have-beens.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
a special situation
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus ended the might-have-beens.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading But one thing was sure, she now had an adequate understanding of the mind of her husband.
unpleasantlyadverbUS /ənˈplezəntli/
in an unpleasant manner
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For one horrible moment the thought crossed Patricia's brain that perhaps there had never been any letters of hers in the package her husband had burned, but she dismissed it at once as reflecting unpleasantly upon the quality of her intelligence.
volunteeredverbUS /ˌvɑːlənˈtɪrd/
past form of “volunteer” — tell voluntarily
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But one thing was sure, she now had an adequate understanding of the mind of her husband.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And the thing that Patricia had taken to be the phantom of romance went up in the smoke of John Doe's fire.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Mortimer Crabb never volunteered any information as to how he got the letters, nor any information as to what became of Heywood Pennington.
