1887
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SEPTEMBER, 1887.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
ALCOTTnounUS /ˈælkɑːt/
United States novelist noted for children's books (1832-1888)
From this reading L.M. ALCOTT.
amusementnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənt/
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/
plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
enforcedadjectiveUS /enˈfɔːrst/
forced or compelled or put in force
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
friendnounUS /frend/
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
GarlandverbUS /ˈɡɑːrlənd/
adorn with bands of flowers or leaves
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
LnounUS /el/
a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)
From this reading L.M. ALCOTT.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
MnounUS /em/
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading L.M. ALCOTT.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
periodnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/
an amount of time
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
seclusionnounUS /sɪˈkluːʒən/
the quality of being secluded from the presence or view of others
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
SEPTEMBERnounUS /sepˈtembər/
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading SEPTEMBER, 1887.
solacenounUS /ˈsɑːləs/
the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/
plural of “story” — 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 These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
suggestedverbUS /səˈdʒestɪd/
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
sunshinenounUS /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
the rays of the sun
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
talesnounUS /teɪlz/
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 The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
titlesnounUS /ˈtaɪtəlz/
plural of “title” — a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading If my girls find a little beauty or sunshine in these common blossoms, their old friend will not have made her Garland in vain.
workverbUS /wɜːrk/
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The flowers which were my solace and pleasure suggested titles for the tales and gave an interest to the work.
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading These stories were written for my own amusement during a period of enforced seclusion.
