AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading SIGNS OF A THUNDER-SHOWER.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
armnounUS /ɑːrm/
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
balcony-railing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
bristlyadjective
very irritable
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
carefullyadverbUS /ˈkerfəli/
taking care or paying attention
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
ceremonynounUS /ˈserəmoʊni/
a formal event performed on a special occasion
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
completedadjectiveUS /kəmˈpliːtəd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
deliveredverbUS /dɪˈlɪvərd/
past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
deliverynounUS /dɪˈlɪvəri/
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
developmentsnounUS /dɪˈveləpmənts/
plural of “development” — act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
fragrantadjectiveUS /ˈfreɪɡrənt/
pleasant-smelling
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
inchesnounUS /ˈɪntʃəz/
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/
a polite name for any woman
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
leanedverbUS /liːnd/
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
letternounUS /ˈletər/
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
mouthnounUS /maʊθ/
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
nosenounUS /noʊz/
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SIGNS OF A THUNDER-SHOWER.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
pocketnounUS /ˈpɑːkət/
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
post-mark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
postmannounUS /ˈpoʊstmən/
a man who delivers the mail
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
professornounUS /prəˈfesər/
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
reachverbUS /riːtʃ/
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/
get something; come into possession of
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
scrutinizedverbUS /ˈskruːtənaɪzd/
past form of “scrutinize” — to look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
sealverbUS /siːl/
make tight; secure against leakage
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
SIGNSnounUS /saɪnz/
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading SIGNS OF A THUNDER-SHOWER.
slippernounUS /ˈslɪpər/
low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily; usually worn indoors
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
spectaclesnounUS /ˈspektəkəlz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
steppingverbUS /ˈstepɪŋ/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
strongly-marked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
THUNDER-SHOWER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SIGNS OF A THUNDER-SHOWER.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
turnverbUS /tɜːrn/
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading Before the delivery of the letter, a very pretty little ceremony took place.
visagenounUS /ˈvɪzədʒ/
the human face (“kisser” and “smiler” and “mug” are informal terms for “face” and “phiz” is British)
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
waistcoatnoun
a man's sleeveless garment worn underneath a coat
From this reading The professor took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, placed them carefully upon his strongly-marked nose, and scrutinized in turn the direction, post-mark, and seal.
waitedverbUS /ˈweɪtɪd/
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A moment after, the ceremony was completed, the letter delivered, and the postman, stepping over her father's fallen slipper, leaned against the balcony-railing, and waited for further developments.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
whiskedverbUS /wɪskt/
past form of “whisk” — move somewhere quickly
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
wrinkledadjectiveUS /ˈrɪŋkəld/
marked by wrinkles
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
wristnounUS /rɪst/
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The professor had stretched forth his hand to receive it, when, by a sudden turn of the wrist and arm, the young lady whisked it out of his reach and behind her back, and in place of it brought down her fresh, sweet face with its fragrant mouth to within two inches of his own wrinkled and bristly visage.
