used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
matters of personal concern
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
bakernounUS /ˈbeɪkər/
someone who bakes commercially
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
the process of giving careful thought to something
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
without stop or interruption
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
CorknounUS /kɔːrk/
outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
emotionaladjectiveUS /ɪˈmoʊʃənəl/
determined or actuated by emotion rather than reason
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
Erstein's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
FischernounUS /ˈfɪʃər/
German chemist noted for his synthesis of hemin (1881-1945)
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
a person of German nationality
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
GermanynounUS /ˈdʒɜːrməni/
a republic in central Europe; split into East Germany and West Germany after World War II and reunited in 1990
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
joined in matrimony
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
Nessa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
outburstnounUS /ˈaʊtbɜːrst/
an unrestrained expression of emotion
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/
owed as a debt
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
passportsnounUS /ˈpæspɔːrts/
plural of “passport” — any authorization to pass or go somewhere
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
persecutionnounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈkjuːʃən/
the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
plightnounUS /plaɪt/
a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
filled with satisfaction
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
smashverbUS /smæʃ/
hit hard
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
express in speech
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
create by training and teaching
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
von
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
a message informing of danger
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading She was very curious to learn the truth about the war; and when I had satisfied her, we settled down to the consideration of her own affairs.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
at the time that
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
in or at the place that
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We returned confidence for confidence: that Nessa and I were engaged to be married; how I had come from England to find her; the plight she had been in owing to von Erstein's persecution; that we had been in the train smash, and had escaped with our lives, but had lost the passports.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
the words that are spoken
From this reading A FRIEND IN NEED When the woman returned to us she had quite thrown off her emotional outburst at our meeting, and her first words were a warning not to speak another word of English.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "I couldn't help it at first, I was so excited; but it would ruin me if it was known that I'm British," she declared, and over the breakfast she told us her story.
a late time of life
From this reading She was from Cork, where she had married a German baker named Fischer, had come to Germany a few years later, had been a widow for five years, and had continued to carry on the business of the inn.
