used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
HerbertnounUS /ˈhɜːrbərt/
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
humiliationnounUS /hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃən/
state of disgrace or loss of self-respect
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
instigationnounUS /ˌɪnstɪˈɡeɪʃən/
the verbal act of urging on
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
Louie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
engage in
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
mortificationnounUS /ˈmɔːrtəfkeɪʃən/
strong feelings of embarrassment
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
a form of address for a man
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
outragenounUS /ˈaʊtreɪdʒ/
a feeling of righteous anger
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
small or little relative to something else
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
smartedverbUS /ˈsmɑːrtɪd/
past form of “smart” — be the source of pain
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
not in physical motion
From this reading And still he was glad that help had come from Mr. Grey, and at Louie’s instigation.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading That his father should have been treated thus was an outrage, and that he should have been helped by a bank so much smaller than his own, was something of a humiliation.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It took Herbert some time to reach home, the night was so fine and he had so much to think about.
at the time that
From this reading It might make matters easier for him when his engagement became known.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The run on his father’s bank was a mortification which, now that he had time to think, smarted more than it had before.
