used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
ampleadjectiveUS /ˈæmpəl/
more than enough in size or scope or capacity
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
bamboonounUS /bæmˈbuː/
the hard woody stems of bamboo plants; used in construction and crafts and fishing poles
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
banyannounUS /ˈbænjən/
East Indian tree that puts out aerial shoots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
a woman who has recently been married
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
canopynounUS /ˈkæn.ə.pi/
An overhead roof or structure, such as the high vaulted ceiling of an ancient library.
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
compoundnounUS /ˈkɑːmpaʊnd/
a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
daintyadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪnti/
delicately beautiful
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
the first light of day
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
downwardsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnwərdz/
spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
Hester
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
leafyadjectiveUS /ˈliːfi/
having or covered with leaves
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
MadrasnounUS /ˈmædrəs/
a state in southeastern India on the Bay of Bengal (south of Andhra Pradesh); formerly Madras
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
nooksnounUS /nʊks/
plural of “nook” — a sheltered and secluded place
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
occupantnounUS /ˈɑːkjəpənt/
someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
and nothing more
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Early tea was over.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
pleasant-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
previouslyadverbUS /ˈpriːviəsli/
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
Rayner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
roadsnounUS /roʊdz/
a partly sheltered anchorage
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
stemsnounUS /stemz/
plural of “stem” — (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
not in physical motion
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
the rays of the sun
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Early tea was over.
tent-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Only two months previously Hester Rayner had left home a bride.
two-storied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
vacatedverbUS /veɪˈkeɪtɪd/
past form of “vacate” — leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Under an old banyan tree, with its tent-like stems turned downwards and its dense canopy of green overhead, stood a dainty breakfast table.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The early dawn had given place to the golden sunlight of the Indian morning, but there was still ample shade within certain nooks in the compound of a pleasant-looking two-storied house in one of the leafy roads of Madras.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading One bamboo chair had already been vacated by its occupant; in the other, sat a young English lady.
