used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A HORRIBLE PREDICAMENT.
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
after-dinner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
a line of approach
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
balconynounUS /ˈbælkəni/
an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
bodicenounUS /ˈbɑːdɪs/
part of a dress above the waist
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
bustverbUS /bʌst/
ruin completely
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
cheeryadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪri/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
compositionnounUS /ˌkɑːmpəˈzɪʃən/
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
contraltonoun
a woman singer having a contralto voice
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
daintilyadverbUS /ˈdeɪntəliː/
in a dainty and fastidious manner
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
displayedverbUS /dɪˈspleɪd/
past form of “display” — to show, make visible or apparent
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/
past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
fragrantadjectiveUS /ˈfreɪɡrənt/
pleasant-smelling
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
FredericknounUS /ˈfredrɪk/
a town in northern Maryland to the west of Baltimore
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
Friedland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
gardeniasnounUS /ɡɑːrˈdiːnjəz/
plural of “gardenia” — any of various shrubs and small trees of the genus Gardenia having large fragrant white or yellow flowers
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
a person of German nationality
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
provoking horror
From this reading A HORRIBLE PREDICAMENT.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
lingerverbUS /ˈlɪŋɡər/
remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
marvelousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrvələs/
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
melodynounUS /ˈmelədi/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
nestlingnounUS /ˈnestlɪŋ/
young bird not yet fledged
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
outlinenounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪn/
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
passer-bynoun
a person who passes by casually or by chance
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
pianonounUS /piˈænoʊ/
a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
PREDICAMENTnounUS /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/
a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
From this reading A HORRIBLE PREDICAMENT.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
past form of “render” — cause to become
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
possessing material wealth
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
singularlyadverbUS /ˈsɪŋɡjələrli/
in a singular manner or to a singular degree
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
strainsnounUS /streɪnz/
plural of “strain” — (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
von
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
Waldberg
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
weednounUS /wiːd/
any plant that crowds out cultivated plants
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
in or at the place that
From this reading “Nonsense, nonsense,” cries a cheery voice from the balcony where Frederick von Waldberg has been enjoying his after-dinner weed.
a Caucasian
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
whitenessnounUS /ˈwaɪtnəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
which person or people
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The strains of a beautiful old German melody, rendered by a rich contralto voice, floated through the night air and caused many a passer-by to linger beneath the open windows of a house in the Avenue Friedland whence they proceeded.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Dressed in a marvelous composition of white velvet and old lace, with fragrant gardenias nestling in her bosom and in her soft, golden hair, her low bodice displayed to great advantage the marble whiteness and perfect outline of her bust.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading It was a singularly beautiful woman who was singing, seated at the piano, in the half light of a daintily furnished drawing-room.
