Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

how long something has existed

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

(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 All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

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

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

taking care or paying attention

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

plural of “curve” — the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

well in the past; former

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

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

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

enclose in or as if in a frame

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

shining intensely

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

destroyed or killed

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

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

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

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

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

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

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

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

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

calculated to please or gain favor

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

garments (clothes or linens) that are to be (or have been) ironed

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

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 All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

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

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

plural of “needle” — the leaf of a conifer

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

the middle of the day

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

and nothing more

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

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

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

plural of “path” — a course of conduct

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

preceding and preparing for something

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

stitching through layers of fabric and a filling so as to create a design

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

Identical; not different.

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

fasten by sewing; do needlework

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

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

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

make square

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

an orderly pile

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

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

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

push forcefully

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

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

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

-ing form of “traverse” — travel across or pass over

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

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

From this reading They had had a quilting at the house of the two sisters that day.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

having a variety of colors

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

in or at the place that

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

in the company of; together with

From this reading All day long they had thrust their needles up and down and gossiped in their slow, insinuating way, pausing only at noon to move their chairs to the dinner-table, where they sat with the same set curves to their backs.

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Six or seven women of the neighborhood, of middle age or older, had been in to sew on the glaring, varicolored square.

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.

plural of “worker” — a person who works at a specific occupation

From this reading The sun had gone down behind the mountain and the workers had departed, some traversing the fields and others disappearing by invisible paths in the near-by wood.

plural of “wrinkle” — a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface

From this reading The two sisters had taken the finished quilt from its wooden frame, and were carefully ironing out the wrinkles preparatory to adding it to the useless stack of its kind in the corner of the room.