used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
abatingverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “abate” — make less active or intense
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
AlfrednounUS /ˈælfrəd/
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
Anne'snounUS /ænz/
possessive form of “anne” — Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; daughter if James II and the last of the Stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last English ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
bottomsnounUS /ˈbɑːtəmz/
plural of “bottom” — the lower side of anything
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
buttonedadjectiveUS /ˈbʌtənd/
furnished or closed with buttons or something buttonlike
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/
unpleasantly cold
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
gloatedverbUS /ˈɡloʊtɪd/
past form of “gloat” — dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
engage in
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
a particular point in time
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
not any; not one
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
provideverbUS /prəˈvaɪd/
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
reapverbUS /riːp/
gather, as of natural products
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
get rid of
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading It was certain to provide some sort of excitement for the evening.
undergo or be subjected to
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
tête-à-tête
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
umbrellanounUS /əmˈbrelə/
a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Moreover, he was tired of the _tête-à-tête_ in the shed, and he had a dull curiosity to hear the result of Aunt Anne’s visit to town.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
look attentively
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading He buttoned his coat, turned up the bottoms of his trousers, and looked for his umbrella; then he hesitated a moment and looked out at the weather.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
Wimplenoun
headdress of cloth; worn over the head and around the neck and ears by medieval women
From this reading The rain showed no signs of abating, but Alfred Wimple was chilly and hungry.
in the company of; together with
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If she had brought back money he would reap the benefit of it; if she had not, he could at least make her suffer, and to watch her suffer would provide him a satisfaction over which he gloated more and more with every experience of it.
