used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
abilitynounUS /əˈbɪlətiː/
the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
(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 She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
the two together, not just one
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
childishadjectiveUS /ˈtʃaɪldɪʃ/
indicating a lack of maturity
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
clothing in general
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
doubtsnounUS /daʊts/
plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
fussedverbUS /fʌst/
past form of “fuss” — worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
a young female
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
HarveynounUS /ˈhɑːrvi/
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
Horatia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
husband'snounUS /ˈhʌzbəndz/
possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
illnessesnounUS /ˈɪlnəsɪz/
plural of “illness” — impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
independentadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈpendənt/
free from external control and constraint
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
interminablyadverbUS /ˈɪntərmɪnæbli/
all the time; seemingly without stopping
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
leg-o
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
maternitynounUS /məˈtɜːrnɪti/
the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her uterus
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
muttonnounUS /ˈmʌtən/
meat from a mature domestic sheep
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
not any; not one
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
parlornounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
photographverbUS /ˈfoʊtəɡræf/
record on photographic film
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
with speed
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
in a serious manner
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
sleevesnounUS /sliːvz/
plural of “sleeve” — the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Like Harvey, Horatia had no doubts as to her ability to look out for herself.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading She had two children, both girls to her secret relief and her husband’s secret disappointment, and she fussed over their clothes and their childish illnesses interminably.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
precisely as stated
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To a certain extent she had been already doing it and she had begun doing it early so that it was natural for her to be independent and vigorous.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
at the time that
From this reading Her father had died when she was five and after that her mother had not seemed to care enough about living to keep it up.
which person or people
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
wifehood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading She had been a pretty, intense woman who had taken her wifehood and maternity very seriously, so seriously that she had quickly faded and at the time of her death had not looked at all like the lovely young girl in leg-o’-mutton sleeves, who smiled out of the photograph in the West Park parlor.
