used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
adorableadjectiveUS /əˈdɔːrəbəl/
lovable especially in a childlike or naive way
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
asceticadjectiveUS /əˈsetɪk/
pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
assuredlyadverbUS /əˈʃʊrədli/
without a doubt
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
beingsnounUS /ˈbiːɪŋz/
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
comprehendverbUS /ˌkɑːmpriˈhend/
get the meaning of something
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
contemplatedverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪd/
past form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
Delancey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
the act of departing
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness
From this reading It is through the very humanity of the saints that one feels their lovableness.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
genusnounUS /ˈdʒiːnəs/
a general kind of something
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
hadn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
only a very short time before
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
heartachenounUS /ˈhɑːrteɪk/
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
the quality of being humane
From this reading It is through the very humanity of the saints that one feels their lovableness.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is through the very humanity of the saints that one feels their lovableness.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
loftyadjectiveUS /ˈlɔːfti/
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
lovableness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is through the very humanity of the saints that one feels their lovableness.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
in other respects or ways
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
perchnounUS /pɜːrtʃ/
support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
one of four equal parts
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
saintsnounUS /seɪnts/
plural of “saint” — a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading It is through the very humanity of the saints that one feels their lovableness.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
soul-stabbing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It is through the very humanity of the saints that one feels their lovableness.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It is through the very humanity of the saints that one feels their lovableness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
tremornounUS /ˈtremər/
an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear)
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
underneathprepositionUS /ˌʌndərˈniːθ/
directly under, often hidden by what is above
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
precisely as stated
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
in the company of; together with
From this reading If, from some lofty and ascetic perch, she could have calmly contemplated her approaching departure from Delancey Castle with never a tremor, with never a soul-stabbing, then, very assuredly, she would have been one of a genus of human beings that I would find it in vain to attempt to comprehend.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
wonderfulnessnounUS /ˈwʌndərfəlnəs/
admirable excellence
From this reading THE WONDERFUL WOMAN BUT underneath the wonderfulness there was a heartache.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
wouldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wouldn’t have been one quarter the adorable old lady she was, if there hadn’t been that heartache.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You can hardly expect it to have been otherwise; and, for my part, I would not have had it otherwise.
