used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading DELIRIUM--A RECOGNITION--A DEPARTURE AND A RETURN.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading DELIRIUM--A RECOGNITION--A DEPARTURE AND A RETURN.
any thing at all
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
give a benediction to
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
the two together, not just one
From this reading His singing was a great source of delight to both his host and hostess.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
calculatedadjectiveUS /ˈkælkjəleɪtɪd/
carefully thought out in advance
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
counteractverbUS /ˈkaʊntərækt/
act in opposition to
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading His singing was a great source of delight to both his host and hostess.
DELIRIUMnounUS /dɪˈlɪriəm/
state of violent mental agitation
From this reading DELIRIUM--A RECOGNITION--A DEPARTURE AND A RETURN.
the act of departing
From this reading DELIRIUM--A RECOGNITION--A DEPARTURE AND A RETURN.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
EllisonnounUS /ˈelɪsən/
United States novelist who wrote about a young Black man and his struggles in American society (1914-1994)
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
a social unit living together
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
a boy or man
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
set up or found
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading His singing was a great source of delight to both his host and hostess.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
horrorsnounUS /ˈhɔːrərz/
plural of “horror” — intense and profound fear
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading His singing was a great source of delight to both his host and hostess.
hostessnounUS /ˈhoʊstəs/
a woman host
From this reading His singing was a great source of delight to both his host and hostess.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
invalid's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
invaluableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvæljəbəl/
having incalculable monetary, intellectual, or spiritual worth
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
Merton's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
Murkard's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
and nothing more
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
patient'snounUS /ˈpeɪʃənts/
possessive form of “patient” — a person who requires medical care
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
RECOGNITIONnounUS /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading DELIRIUM--A RECOGNITION--A DEPARTURE AND A RETURN.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading DELIRIUM--A RECOGNITION--A DEPARTURE AND A RETURN.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading His singing was a great source of delight to both his host and hostess.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading His singing was a great source of delight to both his host and hostess.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Many times during Murkard's illness Ellison found cause to bless Merton's coming.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading He was a clever fellow, able to turn his hand to anything; and before he had been a week in the house he had brought himself to be looked upon as quite a member of the family.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Not only was his cheerful nature calculated to counteract the horrors of the patient's delirium, but without being asked he took upon himself the invalid's work and made himself invaluable in the store.
