used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
consider or hold as true
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
advisableadjectiveUS /ədˈvaɪzəbəl/
worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
anew
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
a youthful male person
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
brother'snounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/
possessive form of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
communicatedverbUS /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪtɪd/
past form of “communicate” — transmit information
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
composingnounUS /kəmˈpoʊzɪŋ/
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
without stop or interruption
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
correspondencenounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/
communication by the exchange of letters
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
dairy-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
Darton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
deemedverbUS /diːmd/
past form of “deem” — keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
desultoryadjectiveUS /ˈdesəltɔːri/
marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
dulyadverbUS /ˈduːli/
in accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
eldestadjectiveUS /ˈeldəst/
first in order of birth
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
HelenanounUS /ˈhelənə/
capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
Hintock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
a social unit living together
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
influencesnounUS /ˈɪnfluːənsɪz/
plural of “influence” — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
Knapverb
strike sharply
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
mother-in-lawnounUS /ˈmʌðərɪnlɔː/
the mother of your spouse
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
a form of address for a man
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
the condition of being essential or indispensable
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
a brief written record
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
passiveadjectiveUS /ˈpæsɪv/
lacking in energy or will
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
petulantadjectiveUS /ˈpetʃələnt/
easily irritated or annoyed
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
routinenounUS /ruːˈtiːn/
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
SallynounUS /ˈsæli/
witty remark
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
sereneadjectiveUS /sərˈiːn/
not agitated; without losing self-possession
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
statedadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtɪd/
declared as fact; explicitly stated
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
carry out
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
past form of “thank” — express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading Helena and her children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, and Darton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene under the composing influences of daily routine.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
precisely as stated
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
at the time that
From this reading One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at his farm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
which person or people
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
the words that are spoken
From this reading A desultory, very desultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton, who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant words on the night of her brother’s death, had continued passive thus long.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which her mother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would be glad to accept it as regarded the eldest, the boy.
