Chapter VI · Chapter 6

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

(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 On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

having the limits or boundaries established

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

dearly loved

From this reading "JOHN, DEAR".

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

(Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

a social unit living together

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

start firing a weapon

From this reading "I want some fire here, Aunt Esther.

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading I've been out on the bay, fishing.

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "I want some fire here, Aunt Esther.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I want some fire here, Aunt Esther.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I've been out on the bay, fishing.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading "JOHN, DEAR".

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

held or filled or in use

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

done under pressure

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

Identical; not different.

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading "I want some fire here, Aunt Esther.

a male human offspring

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

in a violent manner

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "I want some fire here, Aunt Esther.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.

which person or people

From this reading On the evening that Mrs. Lansdowne was thus occupied, John, her son, who had been out on the bay all the afternoon, rushed past the drawing-room door, bounded up the long staircase; entered his room, situated on the same floor, not far from his mother's, and rang the bell violently.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading In a few minutes, Aunt Esther, an ancient black woman, who had long been in the service of the family, made her appearance at the door, and inquired what "Massa John" wanted.