the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
Castel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
divisible by two
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
gallopedverbUS /ˈɡæləpt/
past form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
the act of departing
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
horsebacknounUS /ˈhɔːrsbæk/
the back of a horse
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
Marcia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
come together
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
not any; not one
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
overwhelmingadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/
so strong as to be irresistible
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
pretexts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
reluctancenounUS /rɪˈlʌktəns/
(physics) opposition to magnetic flux (analogous to electric resistance)
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
riddenverbUS /ˈrɪdən/
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
ridesnounUS /raɪdz/
plural of “ride” — a journey in a vehicle (usually an automobile)
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
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 There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
speechesnounUS /ˈspiːtʃəz/
plural of “speech” — the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
steadfastlyadverbUS /ˈstedfæstli/
with resolute determination
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
undertonenounUS /ˈʌndərtoʊn/
a quiet or hushed tone of voice
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
villanounUS /ˈvɪlə/
Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
villagersnounUS /ˈvɪlɪdʒərz/
plural of “villager” — one who has lived in a village most of their life
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
plural of “visitor” — someone who visits
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
Vivalanti
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Her horseback rides were ridden in the direction away from Castel Vivalanti, and if, by chance, she did meet any of her former friends the villagers, she galloped past, looking the other way.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading FOR the next week or so Marcia steadfastly avoided meeting people.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were no visitors at the villa, and it was easy to find pretexts for not going into Rome.
wheatnounUS /wiːt/
annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
which person or people
From this reading She felt an overwhelming reluctance to meeting any of her friends—to meeting any one, in truth, who even knew her name.
the words that are spoken
From this reading It seemed to her that beneath their smiles and pleasant speeches she could read their thoughts; that the words ‘wheat, wheat, wheat’ rang as an undertone to every sentence that was spoken.
