used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
a feeling of delighted approval and liking
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
agedadjectiveUS /eɪdʒd/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
bellesnounUS /belz/
plural of “belle” — a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
blindsnounUS /blaɪndz/
plural of “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
courtedverbUS /ˈkɔːrtɪd/
past form of “court” — make amorous advances towards
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
desiresnounUS /dɪˈzaɪərz/
plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
earnestnessnounUS /ˈɜːrnəstnəs/
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
for a limitless time
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
gentlewomennounUS /ˈdʒentəlwɪmən/
plural of “gentlewoman” — a woman of refinement
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
destroyed or killed
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
high-steppingadjective
having or moving with a high step
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
JacobitenounUS /ˈdʒækəbaɪt/
a supporter of James II after he was overthrown or a supporter of the Stuarts
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
lean-breasted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
life'snounUS /laɪfs/
possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
the force of workers available
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
MissesnounUS /ˈmɪsəz/
plural of “miss” — a young female
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
motherhoodnounUS /ˈmʌðərhʊd/
the kinship relation between an offspring and the mother
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
not any; not one
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
not divisible by two
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
on one occasion
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
prematurelyadverbUS /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/
(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
To recall to mind.
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
supremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/
final or last in your life or progress
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
theirspronounUS /ðerz/
the one or ones belonging to them
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The day of their opportunity had gone by them; they could not forget.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They seemed to have no passions, no desires, no grip on reality, no sense of life's supreme earnestness.
Topbury
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was odd to remember that these gentlewomen, prematurely aged, had once been high-stepping and courted--the belles of Topbury.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
at any time that; every time that
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
whispersnounUS /ˈwɪspərz/
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
which person or people
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Whenever Peter thought of the Misses Jacobite, the picture that formed was of four lean-breasted women, who spoke in whispers and sat forever in a room with the blinds down.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading They were waiting, always waiting for something to return--something which had once been theirs: youth, the hope of motherhood, love, the admiration of men.
