used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
AdriannounUS /ˈeɪdriən/
Roman Emperor who was the adoptive son of Trajan; travelled throughout his empire to strengthen its frontiers and encourage learning and architecture; on a visit to Britain in 122 he ordered the construction of Hadrian's Wall (76-138)
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
Beauchamp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
the two together, not just one
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
braceletsnounUS /ˈbreɪslɪts/
plural of “bracelet” — a band of cloth or leather or metal links attached to a wristwatch and wrapped around the wrist
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
clinkverbUS /klɪŋk/
make a high sound typical of glass
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
cushionsnounUS /ˈkʊʃənz/
plural of “cushion” — a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
DEBORAH
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
deepeningnounUS /ˈdiːpənɪŋ/
a process of becoming deeper and more profound
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
opinion or judgment
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
most important element
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
engage in
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
MONCEAU
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
PARC
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
piled-up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading "Pray tell me."
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
shadingnounUS /ˈʃeɪdɪŋ/
graded markings that indicate light or shaded areas in a drawing or painting
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
sofanounUS /ˈsoʊfə/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
express in speech
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
express in words
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
temperedadjectiveUS /ˈtempərd/
made hard or flexible or resilient especially by heat treatment
From this reading Adrian felt curious as to what should follow; but his curiosity was tempered by deepening respect.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
except if; if not
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
unsteadyadjectiveUS /ənˈstedi/
subject to change or variation
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Unless I am greatly mistaken it is the main cause of our present interview, so that to speak of it may help to make that interview easier for us both."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
in the company of; together with
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
wristnounUS /rɪst/
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading WITH DEBORAH, UNDER AN OAK IN THE PARC MONCEAU Miss Beauchamp leaned back against the piled-up sofa cushions shading her eyes with her left hand; and that hand must have been a little unsteady, since Adrian heard the bracelets upon her wrist rattle and clink.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Shall I tell you what the something was which so moved me?" she asked.
