used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
AlfrednounUS /ˈælfrəd/
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
weapons considered collectively
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
asparagusnounUS /əˈsperəɡəs/
plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
completely unclothed
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
blowsnounUS /bloʊz/
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
cause to be bored
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading JOHN HARTLEY, "The Broken Knight."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
canvasnounUS /ˈkænvəs/
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
CLEARINGnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
Cuirassed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
take in liquids
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
divisible by two
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
favorablyadverbUS /ˈfeɪvərəbli/
showing approval
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
start firing a weapon
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
coins made of gold
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
HamletnounUS /ˈhæmlət/
a community of people smaller than a village
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
HARTLEYnounUS /ˈhɑːrtli/
English philosopher who introduced the theory of the association of ideas (1705-1757)
From this reading JOHN HARTLEY, "The Broken Knight."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
helmetedadjectiveUS /ˈhelmətɪd/
equipped with or wearing a helmet
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading JOHN HARTLEY, "The Broken Knight."
originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading JOHN HARTLEY, "The Broken Knight."
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
Letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
mailnounUS /meɪl/
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
not any; not one
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
pessimistsnounUS /ˈpesəmɪsts/
plural of “pessimist” — a person who expects the worst
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
PoppynounUS /ˈpɑːpi/
annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
like better; value more highly
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
prevailedverbUS /prɪˈveɪld/
past form of “prevail” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
progressingverbUS /prəˈɡresɪŋ/
-ing form of “progress” — develop in a positive way
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
relaxingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
Repellier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
slimadjectiveUS /slɪm/
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
Spaulding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
spearnounUS /spɪr/
a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
swayedverbUS /sweɪd/
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
twinedverbUS /twaɪnd/
past form of “twine” — spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
wantonverbUS /ˈwɔːntən/
waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
be dressed in
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
in or at the place that
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
a Caucasian
From this reading And laughed where swayed his spear aloft, For she no arms did wear, And her slim body white and soft Of steel and mail was bare!
the words that are spoken
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Repellier had been prevailed upon to attempt a portrait of Mrs. Alfred Spaulding, and three times a week he came to her house to drink a cup of tea and to work, relaxingly, it is true, on a canvas which was progressing neither fast nor altogether favorably.
a late time of life
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
yieldingadjectiveUS /ˈjiːldɪŋ/
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading THE FIRE IN THE CLEARING She in twined gold all helmeted, Cuirassed in yielding rose, Let fall from lips of wanton red Three little words, like blows;
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading We prefer our pessimists young and tender, like asparagus; ten years older and what a bore even Hamlet might have been!--"The Silver Poppy."
