used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
anticipatedadjectiveUS /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪd/
expected hopefully
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
appearancesnounUS /əˈpɪrənsəz/
plural of “appearance” — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
assaultnounUS /əˈsɔːlt/
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
bewilderedadjectiveUS /bɪˈwɪldərd/
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading He was bewildered, startled, even deeply moved.
inflected form of “bear” — have
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
a young person of either sex
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
decentadjectiveUS /ˈdiːsənt/
socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading He was bewildered, startled, even deeply moved.
devolveverbUS /dɪˈvɑːlv/
pass on or delegate to another
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
command with authority
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
Elder's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
eloquentadjectiveUS /ˈeləkwənt/
expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
any strong feeling
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
divisible by two
From this reading He was bewildered, startled, even deeply moved.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
guardianshipnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdiənʃɪp/
attention and management implying responsibility for safety
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
JaspernounUS /ˈdʒæspər/
an opaque form of quartz; red or yellow or brown or dark green in color; used for ornamentation or as a gemstone
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
LeonardnounUS /ˈlenərd/
United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
a particular point in time
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading He was bewildered, startled, even deeply moved.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
profitnounUS /ˈprɑːfət/
the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
proprietynounUS /prəˈpraɪəti/
correct or appropriate behavior
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
reactionnounUS /riˈækʃən/
(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
rejectedadjectiveUS /rɪˈdʒektɪd/
rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
Ruben
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had not anticipated so direct a guardianship of Ruben Elder's child as it was evident would now devolve upon him, in consequence of the mother's death.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
soberedverbUS /ˈsoʊbərd/
past form of “sober” — cause to become sober
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
in the near future
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
spontaneouslyadverbUS /spɑːnˈteɪniəsli/
in a spontaneous manner
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading He was bewildered, startled, even deeply moved.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/
having intellectual depth
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Here was to be trouble for him--this was his feeling so soon as there was a little time for reaction--and trouble without profit.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was bewildered, startled, even deeply moved.
in or at the place that
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
witnessedverbUS /ˈwɪtnəst/
past form of “witness” — be a witness to
From this reading The moment he could, with propriety and a decent regard for appearances, get away from the house where he had witnessed so painful a scene, he returned to his place of business in a sobered, thoughtful state of mind.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Leonard Jasper would have been less than human had he borne such an assault upon his feelings without emotion; less than human had his heart instantly and spontaneously rejected the dying mother's wildly eloquent appeal.
