used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
acerbitynoun
a sharp bitterness
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was a folly, but it was undeniable.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
cowardicenounUS /ˈkaʊərdəs/
the trait of lacking courage
From this reading And Ignace's cowardice just now stood in the way of golden gains.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
the trait of acting stupidly or rashly
From this reading It was a folly, but it was undeniable.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
gainsnounUS /ɡeɪnz/
plural of “gain” — a quantity that is added
From this reading And Ignace's cowardice just now stood in the way of golden gains.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading And Ignace's cowardice just now stood in the way of golden gains.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
husband'snounUS /ˈhʌzbəndz/
possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
Ignace's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Ignace's cowardice just now stood in the way of golden gains.
impedimentsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpedəmənts/
plural of “impediment” — something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
and nothing more
From this reading And Ignace's cowardice just now stood in the way of golden gains.
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 She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
legaladjectiveUS /ˈliːɡəl/
established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
lucrativeadjectiveUS /ˈluːkrətɪv/
producing a sizeable profit
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
mindedadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪndəd/
(used in combination) mentally oriented toward something specified
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
used to form the superlative
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And Ignace's cowardice just now stood in the way of golden gains.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
the body of people in a learned occupation
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
Roulleau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
RuenounUS /ruː/
European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
Servan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
that is looked for
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
St
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading And Ignace's cowardice just now stood in the way of golden gains.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
tighteradjectiveUS /ˈtaɪtər/
comparative of “tight” — closely constrained or constricted or constricting
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
undeniableadjectiveUS /ˌʌndɪˈnaɪəbəl/
not possible to deny
From this reading It was a folly, but it was undeniable.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then she went back to Rue St Servan, and sought Madame Roulleau.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Madame was sitting in the office, with a pen behind her ear, and her thin hair drawn up tighter, doing her husband's work with considerable acerbity.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She would not in the least have minded bearing its whole weight upon her shoulders had it not been that certain foolish legal impediments in the way of women cut her off from the most lucrative part of his profession.
