Chapter I

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

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

having help; often used as a combining form

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

(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 The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

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

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

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

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

cause to be bored

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

a woodworker who makes or repairs wooden objects

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

the act of constructing something

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

accepted or habitual practice

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

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

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

(often used in combination) having a specified direction

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

past form of “doubt” — consider unlikely or have doubts about

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

divisible by two

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

opinion or judgment

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

in a free manner

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

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

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

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

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

held dear

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

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

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

clean or organized

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

the quality of being new; the opposite of oldness

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

possessive form of “owner” — (law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

raise the level or amount of something

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

comparative of “rough” — having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

giving satisfaction

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

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

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

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

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

plural of “trace” — a just detectable amount

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

someone who visits

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

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

From this reading The house was a neat, though a lowly one.

(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 The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading The door of the house was open, and custom admitted every visitor freely, whatever was his errand.

at the time that

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

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

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.

which person or people

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The result was satisfactory to him; and, what was more, in his eyes, was satisfactory to the two whom he loved best--at least, it seemed satisfactory to them, although those who knew them, even not so well as he did, might have doubted, and yet loved them all the better.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Nevertheless, it was not built by the owner's own hands; for when he came there he had much to learn in the rougher arts of life; but with a carpenter from a village some nine miles off, he had aided to raise the building and directed the construction by his own taste.

but in spite of that

From this reading It bore traces of newness, for the bark on the trunks which supported the little veranda had not yet mouldered away.