adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
achievingverbUS /əˈtʃiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “achieve” — to gain with effort
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/
in addition
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/
happiness felt in a secure relationship
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
Beverley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
blue-grayadjective
of grey tinged with blue
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
brownnounUS /braʊn/
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
butterflyverbUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/
flutter like a butterfly
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
CALLverbUS /kɔːl/
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
closeradverbUS /ˈkloʊsər/
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
Cray's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
curlingnounUS /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
daintyadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪnti/
delicately beautiful
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
denounUS /diː/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/
perceived or discerned
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
dispelledverbUS /dɪˈspeld/
inflected form of “dispel” — force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
FollynounUS /ˈfɑːli/
the trait of acting stupidly or rashly
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
gayadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
hairnounUS /her/
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her repose was misleading.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
hostnounUS /hoʊst/
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
hostessnounUS /ˈhoʊstəs/
a woman host
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
illusionnounUS /ˌɪˈluːʒən/
an erroneous mental representation
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
knewverbUS /nuː/
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
lipsnounUS /lɪps/
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
lookverbUS /lʊk/
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
M'KOMBO
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
misleadingadjectiveUS /mɪˈsliːdɪŋ/
designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently
From this reading Her repose was misleading.
MissverbUS /mɪs/
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
mobileadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊbəl/
migratory
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
newadjectiveUS /nuː/
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
notableadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəbəl/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
obligationnounUS /ˌɑːbləˈɡeɪʃən/
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
personalitynounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti/
the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
procuredverbUS /proʊˈkjʊrd/
past form of “procure” — get by special effort
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
properadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːpər/
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
reposeverbUS /riˈpoʊz/
put or confide something in a person or thing
From this reading Her repose was misleading.
retainverbUS /rɪˈteɪn/
hold back within
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
russetnounUS /ˈrʌsɪt/
a reddish brown homespun fabric
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
sadnessnounUS /ˈsædnəs/
emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
slendernessnoun
the quality of being slight or inadequate
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
Stämer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
subjugatedadjectiveUS /ˈsʌbdʒəɡeɪtɪd/
reduced to submission
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
teanounUS /tiː/
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
trueadjectiveUS /truː/
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
understandingnounUS /ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/
except if; if not
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
vagabondnounUS /ˈvæɡəbɑːnd/
anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
Val
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
verandanounUS /vərˈændə/
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
From this reading THE CALL OF M’KOMBO Of tea upon the veranda of Cray’s Folly that afternoon I retain several notable memories.
viewpointnounUS /ˈvjuːpɔɪnt/
a mental position from which things are viewed
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
vitaladjectiveUS /ˈvaɪtəl/
urgently needed; absolutely necessary
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her repose was misleading.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
whynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading She deliberately subjugated her own vital personality to that of Madame de Stämer, why, I knew not, unless she felt herself under an obligation to do so.
wistfuladjectiveUS /ˈwɪstfəl/
showing pensive sadness
From this reading That her blue-gray eyes could be wistful was true enough, they could also be gay; and once I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging to her dainty slenderness, to her mobile lips, to the vagabond curling hair of russet brown.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading I got into closer touch with my host and hostess, without achieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley.
