Chapter I

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

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

consider or hold as true

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

relating to or peculiar to or suggestive of an adolescent

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

how long something has existed

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

equally

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

(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 We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

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

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

weapons considered collectively

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

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

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

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

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

any utterance produced simultaneously by a group

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

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

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

plural of “cruelty” — a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

the first light of day

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

the state of owing something (especially money)

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

-ing form of “dedicate” — give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

complete or carry out

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

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

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

put on clothes

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

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

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

a feeling of excitement

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

having the pinkish flush of health

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

set up or found

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

a young female

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

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

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

third-person singular of “indulge” — give free rein to

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

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

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

plural of “limitation” — a principle that limits the extent of something

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

held dear

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

any art that invokes supernatural powers

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

joined in matrimony

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

a feeling of thoughtful sadness

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

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

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

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

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

and nothing more

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

on the contrary

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

your consciousness of your own identity

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

having the character or disposition harmed by pampering or oversolicitous attention

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

not in physical motion

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

cause to spread or flush or flood through, over, or across

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

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

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

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

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

the starting point for a new state or experience

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

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

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

of worldwide scope or applicability

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

precisely as stated

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading When I hear children singing that old round, which I am sure you loved as well as I, “We were ten girls in a field All waiting to be married,” I picture Claudine, Suzanne, Dumaine and their companions as a graceful chorus in which the voices of old France still sound.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

at the time that

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

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

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

which person or people

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

in the company of; together with

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

plural of “yearning” — prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading We were at the spoiled age of twenty, at the threshold of life’s work, when one arms one’s self against love, and indulges in yearnings for universal things which only later, alike with him who has lived too much and him who has not lived at all, accept their limitations and disenchantments;--we were twenty, and we found in you that melancholy which at twenty it is so sweet to breathe.

a late time of life

From this reading With what magic did you not gild our adolescent years!

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading This book is the story of a quite simple young girl crushed by the cruelties of our modern life.

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading In dedicating to you this story of “The Woollen Dress,” I discharge a very old debt, a debt of my youth, when enthusiasm for your works--your poems, I ought rather to call them--flushed and exalted me as the first misty moments of the dawn suffuse the surface of the earth.