adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
Abbie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
Abbie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
alarmedadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmd/
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MOTHER AND SON.
anybodypronounUS /ˈenibədi/
any person at all
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
approachingnounUS /əˈproʊtʃɪŋ/
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
ballnounUS /bɔːl/
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
Bressant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
Cornelia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
creptverbUS /krept/
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
dissolutionnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈluːʃən/
separation into component parts
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
grandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
MOTHERnounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading MOTHER AND SON.
movementsnounUS /ˈmuːvmənts/
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
of an obscure nature
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
partlyadverbUS /ˈpɑːrtli/
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
progressnounUS /ˈprɑːɡres/
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/
with low volume
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
relievedadjectiveUS /rɪˈliːvd/
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
sawverbUS /sɔː/
cut with a saw
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
secretlyadverbUS /ˈsiːkrɪtli/
in secrecy; not openly
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/
the display of a motion picture
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
side-door
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
sightnounUS /saɪt/
an instance of visual perception
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
signsnounUS /saɪnz/
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She could now account for the mysterious disappearance of Cornelia some hours before.
SONnounUS /sʌn/
a male human offspring
From this reading MOTHER AND SON.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
surreptitiousadjectiveUS /ˌsɜːrəpˈtɪʃəs/
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The grand ball at Abbie's was still in progress, though showing signs of approaching dissolution, when Bressant entered the house quietly at a side-door, and crept up to his room.
whynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading But why had Bressant returned so secretly? and why were his movements all so surreptitious?
wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading He wished not to be seen or heard by anybody; but it happened that Abbie saw him, and the sight partly alarmed and partly relieved her.
