Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

liable to account for one's actions

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

(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 Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

any thing at all

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

Extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

having or marked by confidence or assurance

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

plural of “devotee” — an ardent follower and admirer

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

having the place or position changed

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

having your services engaged for; or having a job especially one that pays wages or a salary

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

forced or compelled or put in force

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

divisible by two

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

moving with great haste

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

plural of “incident” — a single distinct event

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

an intermediate platform in a staircase

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

not one and not the other of two

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

not any; not one

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

on one occasion

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

righteousness by virtue of being pious

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

separated in relationship by a given degree of descent

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

past form of “render” — cause to become

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

the act of controlling by restraining someone or something

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

plural of “rule” — a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

cut with a saw

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

unusualness as a consequence of not being well known

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

following in time or order

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

not clearly expressed or understood

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

precisely as stated

From this reading Eunice was disturbed by several vague incidents, and, as she suffered from a complaint of the heart, rendered very ill by them.

Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.

From this reading Even Tabitha admitted a strangeness about the house, but, confident in her piety and virtue, took no heed of it, her mind being fully employed in another direction.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading The deep silence of night was broken by strange noises for which neither the wind nor the rats could be held accountable.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Old Martha, seated in her distant kitchen, heard strange sounds upon the stairs, and once, upon hurrying to them, fancied that she saw a dark figure squatting upon the landing, though a subsequent search with candle and spectacles failed to discover anything.

past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of

From this reading Since the death of her sister all restraint upon her was removed, and she yielded herself up entirely to the stern and hard rules enforced by avarice upon its devotees.