used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
Alec
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
(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 I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
cribbagenounUS /ˈkrɪbɪdʒ/
a card game (usually for two players) in which each player is dealt six cards and discards one or two
From this reading Will and I were playing cribbage.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
Edith
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
fashionableadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənəbəl/
being or in accordance with current social fashions
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
installedverbUS /ˌɪnˈstɔːld/
inflected form of “instal” — set up for use
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
and nothing more
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
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 Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading Will and I were playing cribbage.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
trailingnounUS /ˈtreɪlɪŋ/
the pursuit (of a person or animal) by following tracks or marks they left behind
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/
in a way that was not expected
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks.
at the time that
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Will and I were playing cribbage.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door.
