used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
AdvocateverbUS /ˈædvəkət/
push for something
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
antechambernounUS /ˈæntetʃeɪmbər/
a large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
attentiveadjectiveUS /əˈtentɪv/
(often followed by “to”) giving care or attention
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Some here, perchance, have been to court, and have seen me there.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
next to; at the side of
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading "Some here, perchance, have been to court, and have seen me there.
curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
GreenwichnounUS /ˈɡrenɪtʃ/
a borough of Greater London on the Thames; zero degrees of longitude runs through Greenwich; time is measured relative to Greenwich Mean Time
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Some here, perchance, have been to court, and have seen me there.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Some here, perchance, have been to court, and have seen me there.
the state of being honored
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
a female domestic
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
Majesty'snounUS /ˈmædʒəstiz/
possessive form of “majesty” — impressiveness in scale or proportion
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
on one occasion
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
perchanceadverbUS /pərˈtʃæns/
through chance
From this reading "Some here, perchance, have been to court, and have seen me there.
by chance
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
Sandys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
cut with a saw
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
only a very short time before
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Some here, perchance, have been to court, and have seen me there.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Some here, perchance, have been to court, and have seen me there.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
be standing; be upright
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
in or at that place or location
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
thinnernounUS /ˈθɪnər/
a diluting agent
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
not known
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
precisely as stated
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She was thinner, and there were heavy shadows beneath her eyes, but she was beautiful.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In which I Find an Advocate She came slowly nearer the ring of now very quiet and attentive faces until she stood beside me, but she neither looked at me nor spoke to me.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I stand before gentlemen to whom, perhaps, I am not utterly unknown," she said.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Master Sandys, once, before the Queen died, you came to Greenwich to kiss her Majesty's hands; and while you waited in her antechamber you saw a young maid of honour--scarce more than a child--curled in a window--seat with a book.
