used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
(of mail) marked with a destination
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
a positive feeling of liking
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
how long something has existed
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
conforming to your own liking or feelings or nature
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/
your usual mood
From this reading This was entirely to my liking, as I was of a retired habit of mind and disposition.
distastenounUS /dɪˈsteɪst/
a feeling of intense dislike
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/
(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading This was entirely to my liking, as I was of a retired habit of mind and disposition.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
FortressnounUS /ˈfɔːrtrəs/
a fortified defensive structure
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
frivolitynounUS /frəˈvɑːləti/
the trait of being frivolous; not serious or sensible
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
an established custom
From this reading This was entirely to my liking, as I was of a retired habit of mind and disposition.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
likingnounUS /ˈlaɪkɪŋ/
a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment
From this reading This was entirely to my liking, as I was of a retired habit of mind and disposition.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
social deportment
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
matronnounUS /ˈmeɪtrən/
a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading This was entirely to my liking, as I was of a retired habit of mind and disposition.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
performedverbUS /pərˈfɔːrmd/
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
with low volume
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
remembrancesnounUS /rɪˈmembrənsɪz/
plural of “remembrance” — the ability to recall past occurrences
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
renderverbUS /ˈrendər/
cause to become
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading This was entirely to my liking, as I was of a retired habit of mind and disposition.
sedateadjectiveUS /sɪˈdeɪt/
characterized by dignity and propriety
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
not often
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
carry out
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was entirely to my liking, as I was of a retired habit of mind and disposition.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
tittle-tattlenoun
light informal conversation for social occasions
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
a source of difficulty
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
except if; if not
From this reading She performed her duties quietly and in silence, and seldom spoke unless she were first addressed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
which person or people
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious
From this reading She did not take the trouble to render herself agreeable to me, or to win my affection.
in the company of; together with
From this reading My earliest distinct remembrances are of a mean and common home in London, in which I lived with my parents and a servant named Fortress.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading She was a young woman, her age being twenty-four or five, but her manners were as sedate as those of a matron who had a distaste for frivolity and tittle-tattle.
