used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
basket-chairs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
bookcasenounUS /ˈbʊkkeɪs/
a piece of furniture with shelves for storing books
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
confined by bonds
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
dearly loved
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
deliciousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪʃəs/
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Jessop did not need any telling.
dining-roomnoun
a room used for dining
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
a competitor thought likely to win
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
made afraid
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
great-nieces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
hazyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪzi/
filled or abounding with fog or mist
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
icedverbUS /aɪst/
past form of “ice” — decorate with frosting
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
Jessop
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
and nothing more
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
MavisnounUS /ˈmeɪvɪs/
common Old World thrush noted for its song
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
MerlenounUS /mɜːrl/
common black European thrush
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading Jessop did not need any telling.
easily agitated
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
nickverbUS /nɪk/
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Jessop did not need any telling.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
platefulnoun
the quantity contained in a plate
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
proprietynounUS /prəˈpraɪəti/
correct or appropriate behavior
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
on the contrary
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
satisfyverbUS /ˈsætəsfaɪ/
meet the requirements or expectations of
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
an educational institution
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
schoolgirlsnounUS /ˈskuːlɡɜːrlz/
plural of “schoolgirl” — a girl attending school
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
soda-cake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading Jessop did not need any telling.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
toffeenounUS /ˈtɑːfi/
caramelized sugar cooled in thin sheets
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
treaclenoun
a pale cane syrup
From this reading The iced soda-cake was of her making, and so was the plateful of delicious treacle toffee.
Tremayne's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
volumesnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading The School Favourite Mavis and Merle walked into the dining-room just in the nick of time to satisfy Mrs. Tremayne's sense of propriety.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
which person or people
From this reading She was a dear, nervous, old lady, who had never had any daughters of her own, and had rather a hazy notion of girls in general, and was indeed a little frightened of schoolgirls; but she tried to be very kind to her great-nieces, and had told Jessop to be sure and look after them.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading It was she who had arranged their bedroom, and had put the little table in the window, and the two basket-chairs, and the bookcase full of tales of adventure and bound volumes of _The Boys' Own Paper_.
