adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/
not being in a specified place
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
addressesnounUS /ˈæˈdresɪz/
plural of “address” — (computer science) the code that identifies where a piece of information is stored
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
agenounUS /eɪdʒ/
how long something has existed
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
alternatelyadverbUS /ˈɔːltərnətli/
in an alternating sequence or position
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
attractedverbUS /əˈtræktɪd/
past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
ColonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
Colonel'snounUS /ˈkɜːrnəlz/
possessive form of “colonel” — a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
consistedverbUS /kənˈsɪstəd/
past form of “consist” — originate
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
containedadjectiveUS /kənˈteɪnd/
gotten under control
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
correspondencenounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/
communication by the exchange of letters
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
directedadjectiveUS /dərˈektəd/
(often used in combination) having a specified direction
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
dutiesnounUS /ˈduːtiz/
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
handwritingnounUS /ˈhændraɪtɪŋ/
something written by hand
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
headedadjectiveUS /ˈhedəd/
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
homenounUS /hoʊm/
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
HonorableadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnərəbəl/
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
inknounUS /ɪŋk/
a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
JournalnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrnəl/
a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
leavesnounUS /liːvz/
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/
the literary culture
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
MercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
Mercy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
militaryadjectiveUS /ˈmɪləteri/
of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
MydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
obligedadjectiveUS /əˈblaɪdʒd/
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
pinnedverbUS /pɪnd/
inflected form of “pin” — to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
ribbonnounUS /ˈrɪbən/
any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
RomenounUS /roʊm/
capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
Roseberry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
tiedadjectiveUS /taɪd/
bound or secured closely
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Mercy tied the letters up again, and passed on to the papers that lay next in order under her hand.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The letters, directed alternately to Colonel Roseberry and to the Honorable Mrs. Roseberry, contained a correspondence between the husband and wife at a time when the Colonel’s military duties had obliged him to be absent from home.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Some letters, tied together with a ribbon, attracted Mercy’s attention first.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading These consisted of a few leaves pinned together, and headed (in a woman’s handwriting) “My Journal at Rome.”
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading The ink in which the addresses were written had faded with age.
