used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
arduouslyadverb
in an arduous manner
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
Braeburn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
conventionaladjectiveUS /kənˈvenʃənəl/
following accepted customs and proprieties
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
demandsnounUS /dɪˈmændz/
plural of “demand” — an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
frostnounUS /frɔːst/
ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
gaieties
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
only a very short time before
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
JudithnounUS /ˈdʒuːdəθ/
Jewish heroine in one of the books of the Apocrypha; she saved her people by decapitating the Assyrian general Holofernes
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/
in a literal sense
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
the force of workers available
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
used to form the superlative
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
not one, and not any
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
held or filled or in use
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
with low volume
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
recoveringadjectiveUS /rəˈkʌvərɪŋ/
returning to health after illness or debility
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
rigorousadjectiveUS /ˈrɪɡərəs/
rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
significancenounUS /səɡˈnɪfɪkəns/
the quality of being significant
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
SLEEPERnounUS /ˈsliːpər/
a rester who is sleeping
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
strenuousadjectiveUS /ˈstrenjuːəs/
characterized by or performed with much energy or force
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
toilsomeadjective
characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
vacationnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
WAKESnounUS /weɪks/
plural of “wake” — the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event)
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The demands upon her time were far more rigorous than were those of any business man of her acquaintance.
at the time that
From this reading Her friends--particularly the men--smiled when she said that she never had a vacation: but that was literally true.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For a little while she rested quietly, recovering from the strenuous gaieties of the summer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A SLEEPER WAKES With the first frost Judith closed her house at Braeburn and returned to the city.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading In the conventional significance of the word her life was hardly toilsome, but it was none the less most arduously occupied.
