used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
ampleadjectiveUS /ˈæmpəl/
more than enough in size or scope or capacity
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Brooks asked.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
BROOKSnounUS /brʊks/
United States literary critic and historian (1886-1963)
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
commencementnounUS /kəˈmensmənt/
the time at which something is supposed to begin
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
dippingverbUS /ˈdɪpɪŋ/
inflected form of “dip” — immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
discomfiturenoun
anxious embarrassment
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
an old word for “before”
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
with resolute determination
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
a young female
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
graspingnounUS /ˈɡræspɪŋ/
understanding with difficulty
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
inknounUS /ɪŋk/
a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is your name, please?"
a polite name for any woman
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
meek-faced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
MISSIONSnounUS /ˈmɪʃənz/
plural of “mission” — an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
subject to death
From this reading "I'm first," she declared, firmly; "been 'ere for four mortal hours."
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "What is your name, please?"
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
proceedingsnounUS /proʊˈsiːdɪŋz/
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
proportionsnounUS /prəˈpɔːrʃənz/
plural of “proportion” — the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
shoveverbUS /ʃʌv/
come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
having a supporting base
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
supersedeverbUS /ˌsuːpərˈsiːd/
take the place or move into the position of
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
believed likely
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading BROOKS AND HIS MISSIONS "Now then, please," Brooks said, dipping his pen in the ink.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is your name, please?"
which person or people
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A lady of ample proportions, who had been standing since the commencement of the proceedings with her hand tightly grasping the leg of Brooks' table, gave a final shove of discomfiture to a meek-faced girl whom she had suspected of an attempt to supersede her, and presented herself before the desk.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What is your name, please?"
