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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
affair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
altogether
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
aware
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Of course there would be danger.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
BESSY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW BESSY PRYOR WOULDN’T MARRY THE PARSON.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
blear-eyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
circumstances
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
commencement
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Of course there would be danger.
danger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course there would be danger.
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/
a responsibility that must be carried out
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
girl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
heart-breaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
horror
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
HOW
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW BESSY PRYOR WOULDN’T MARRY THE PARSON.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
lead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
love
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
MARRY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW BESSY PRYOR WOULDN’T MARRY THE PARSON.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
Miles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
mothering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
Mrs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
OfprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of course there would be danger.
PARSON
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW BESSY PRYOR WOULDN’T MARRY THE PARSON.
pleasure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
possibly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
PRYOR
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW BESSY PRYOR WOULDN’T MARRY THE PARSON.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
son
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
sort
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HOW BESSY PRYOR WOULDN’T MARRY THE PARSON.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course there would be danger.
thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Miles had been aware of that from the commencement of things.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
undertaken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The duty of mothering Bessy was so much more a duty because, even when the little girl was blear-eyed and thin, there was present to her mind all the horror of a love affair between her son and the little girl.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There had been to her a sort of pleasure in feeling that she had undertaken a duty which might possibly lead to circumstances which would be altogether heart-breaking.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Of course there would be danger.
WOULDN'T
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW BESSY PRYOR WOULDN’T MARRY THE PARSON.
