used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Bettina loved this power and importance.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
Bettina
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bettina loved this power and importance.
brought into existence
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
conceivedverbUS /kənˈsiːvd/
past form of “conceive” — have the idea for
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
costumesnounUS /kɑːˈstuːmz/
plural of “costume” — the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
differedverbUS /ˈdɪfərd/
past form of “differ” — be different
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
dramanounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
enchanter'snounUS /enˈtʃæntərz/
possessive form of “enchanter” — a sorcerer or magician
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
functionsnounUS /ˈfʌŋkʃənz/
plural of “function” — (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function)
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
obtain
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
a long fixed look
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
husband'snounUS /ˈhʌzbəndz/
possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading Bettina loved this power and importance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
lesseradjectiveUS /ˈlesər/
of less size or importance
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
held dear
From this reading Bettina loved this power and importance.
social deportment
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
ownedadjectiveUS /oʊnd/
having an owner; often used in combination
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
palled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Bettina loved this power and importance.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
radiancenounUS /ˈreɪdiːəns/
the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
on the contrary
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
revolvedadjectiveUS /riˈvɑːlvd/
turned in a circle around an axis
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
shineverbUS /ʃaɪn/
be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Bettina loved this power and importance.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
undoubted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
unexpressedadjective
not made explicit
From this reading Certainly she had an air of being born to the purple, and her husband's pride in her was undoubted, if unexpressed.
unfoldingnounUS /ənˈfoʊldɪŋ/
a developmental process
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
varietynounUS /vərˈaɪəti/
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
in or at the place that
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The crowded functions of the London season had somewhat palled upon her, though she had not quite owned it to herself; but here she was the centre of the system, the light around which these lesser lights revolved, and she seemed, under these conditions, to shine with an increased radiance.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Her manners, where they differed from those of the women about her, seemed to gain rather than lose by the contrast, and her costumes seemed to be endless in their variety as well as in their beauty.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The drama of her present life was like the unfolding, before her gaze, of a beautiful series of pictures which she had conceived in her imagination, and which some enchanter's word had turned into reality.
