used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading That was an eventful week to Carol.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
BurtonnounUS /ˈbɜːrtən/
English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
CarolnounUS /ˈkærəl/
joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ
From this reading That was an eventful week to Carol.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
collectedadjectiveUS /kəˈlektəd/
brought together in one place
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
distributingverbUS /dɪˈstrɪbjuːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “distribute” — administer or bestow, as in small portions
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
a person who is older than you are
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
Eloise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
emptiedverbUS /ˈemptid/
inflected form of “empty” — make void or empty of contents
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
eventfuladjectiveUS /ɪˈventfəl/
full of events or incidents
From this reading That was an eventful week to Carol.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
the literary culture
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
Mandeville
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
post-bag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
school-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading He collected into a little pile all the letters for the servants’ hall, for the school-room, and for Mrs. Mandeville.
sortingnounUS /ˈsɔːrtɪŋ/
an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
carry out
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was an eventful week to Carol.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That was an eventful week to Carol.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Three or four days after the return of Mrs. Burton and Eloise it was his turn to open the post-bag.
plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
unlockingverbUS /ənˈlɑːkɪŋ/
-ing form of “unlock” — open the lock of
From this reading The daily task of receiving the post-bag, unlocking it, sorting, and then distributing the contents, was always such a pleasure to the elder children that they had agreed to take it by turns.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was an eventful week to Carol.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading That was an eventful week to Carol.
at the time that
From this reading There seemed an unusually full bag that morning when he emptied the contents on the hall table.
