used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That was a happy week, indeed.
(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 Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE MAJOR DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
approvinglyadverbUS /əˈpruːvɪŋli/
in an approving manner
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
arrangeverbUS /ərˈeɪndʒ/
put into a proper or systematic order
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
DEMANDSnounUS /dɪˈmændz/
plural of “demand” — an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading THE MAJOR DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION.
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
remove the dust from
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading THE MAJOR DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION.
flitted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading That was a happy week, indeed.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
housekeepernounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpər/
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
idealadjectiveUS /aɪˈdiːl/
conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading That was a happy week, indeed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
lessonsnounUS /ˈlesənz/
plural of “lesson” — a unit of instruction
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
hear with intention
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
lovinglyadverbUS /ˈlʌvɪŋli/
with fondness; with love
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
MAJORadjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/
of greater importance or stature or rank
From this reading THE MAJOR DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
not any; not one
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
ornamentsnounUS /ˈɔːrnəmənts/
plural of “ornament” — something used to beautify
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
PatsynounUS /ˈpætsi/
a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
performedverbUS /pərˈfɔːrmd/
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
pianonounUS /piˈænoʊ/
a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
recessverbUS /rɪˈses/
put into a recess
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
snugadjectiveUS /snʌɡ/
offering safety; well protected or concealed
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
in the near future
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
refrain from harming
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
strummingverbUS /ˈstrʌmɪŋ/
inflected form of “strum” — sound the strings of (a stringed instrument)
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was a happy week, indeed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MAJOR DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock, from the recess of his own snug chamber.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Patsy devoted all her spare time to her lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was a happy week, indeed.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading That was a happy week, indeed.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She would not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.
