used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
acceptableadjectiveUS /ækˈseptəbəl/
worthy of acceptance or satisfactory
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
lacking funds
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
capacitynounUS /kəˈpæsəti/
capability to perform or produce
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
chauffeurnounUS /ʃoʊˈfɜːr/
a man paid to drive a privately owned car
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
complainedverbUS /kəmˈpleɪnd/
past form of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course, I was only too pleased....
divorceverbUS /dɪˈvɔːrs/
part; cease or break association with
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
envisageverbUS /enˈvɪzɪdʒ/
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
divisible by two
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
guaranteeverbUS /ˌɡerənˈtiː/
give surety or assume responsibility
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
cause to move by striking
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
impassenounUS /ˌɪmˈpæs/
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
easily agitated
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
not any; not one
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
and nothing more
From this reading Of course, I was only too pleased....
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
penaltynounUS /ˈpenəlti/
the act of punishing
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading Of course, I was only too pleased....
capable of happening or existing
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
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 We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
successfullyadverbUS /səkˈsesfəli/
with success; in a successful manner
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
undergo or be subjected to
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
sweetlyadverbUS /ˈswiːtli/
in an affectionate or loving manner (“sweet” is sometimes a poetic or informal variant of “sweetly”)
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
carry out
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Of course, I was only too pleased....
offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Of course, I was only too pleased....
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
a flaw or weak point
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading We were in Rome then, and we could envisage no possible husband for her from among our acquaintance--so she begged me to continue in my capacity for a while.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading But I would not let her take the risk without some guarantee as to her safety, for even adventures can sometimes become unpleasant, and so I insisted that I should be her chauffeur for the occasion--and from beginning to end of the adventure, I insisted.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "'I had suggested that she should divorce me, but she would not do that, for she complained of a nervous fear of being left alone in a house.
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading In the end we hit upon the only way out of the _impasse_--that she should do what she had (so successfully, she sweetly said) done before, and risk the adventure; and if the young man was acceptable, and broke his solemn promise, and came to see her, then he would be made to suffer the penalty of his weakness--happy, wretched youth!
