used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
alternatingadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərneɪtɪŋ/
(of a current) reversing direction
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She went back to her own house as soon as it was over.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
the sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
boxesnounUS /ˈbɑːksəz/
plural of “box” — a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
busiedverbUS /ˈbɪzid/
inflected form of “busy” — keep busy with
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
cleaning-time
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
demanding attention
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
drawersnounUS /drɔːrz/
underpants worn by men
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
dyedadjectiveUS /daɪd/
(used of color) artificially produced; not natural
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
provide as food
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She went back to her own house as soon as it was over.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She went back to her own house as soon as it was over.
house-cleaning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Temperance stayed to the house-cleaning.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
occurring by chance
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
Merce
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
Milford
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
occupationnounUS /ˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən/
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She went back to her own house as soon as it was over.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She went back to her own house as soon as it was over.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
periodsnounUS /ˈpɪriədz/
plural of “period” — an amount of time
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
past form of “resume” — take up or begin anew
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
an educational institution
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
selectingverbUS /səˈlektɪŋ/
-ing form of “select” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
in the near future
From this reading She went back to her own house as soon as it was over.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Temperance stayed to the house-cleaning.
TemperancenounUS /ˈtempərəns/
the trait of avoiding excesses
From this reading Temperance stayed to the house-cleaning.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Temperance stayed to the house-cleaning.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Temperance stayed to the house-cleaning.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
wardrobenounUS /ˈwɔːrdroʊb/
a tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was lucky, she could not help saying, as house-cleaning must always be after a funeral, that it should have happened at the regular cleaning-time.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She went back to her own house as soon as it was over.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
which person or people
From this reading Father drove to Milford as usual; Arthur resumed his school, and Aunt Merce, who had at first busied herself in looking over her wardrobe, and selecting from it what she thought could be dyed, folded it away.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She passed hours in mother's room, from which father had fled, crying over her Bible, looking in her boxes and drawers to feed her sorrow with the sight of the familiar things, alternating those periods with her old occupation of looking out of the windows.
