used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
(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 In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
ballroomnounUS /ˈbɔːlruːm/
large room used mainly for dancing
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
bedsnounUS /bedz/
plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
blush-roses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
cause to be bored
From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
buttonnounUS /ˈbʌtən/
a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
carvedadjectiveUS /kɑːrvd/
made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
cornicenoun
a decorative framework to conceal curtain fixtures at the top of a window casing
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
a small house with a single story
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
CupidsnounUS /ˈkjuːpɪdz/
plural of “cupid” — (Roman mythology) god of love; counterpart of Greek Eros
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)
From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
intense or sharp
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
fittingsnounUS /ˈfɪtɪŋz/
plural of “fitting” — making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
floodedadjectiveUS /ˈflʌdəd/
covered with water
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
only a very short time before
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
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 The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
not any; not one
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
painternounUS /ˈpeɪntər/
an artist who paints
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
palestadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪləst/
superlative of “pale” — very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
panelsnounUS /ˈpænəlz/
plural of “panel” — sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
tendrils
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
THATCHEDverbUS /θætʃt/
past form of “thatch” — cover with thatch
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
a special situation
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
tumblingnounUS /ˈtʌmbəlɪŋ/
the gymnastic moves of an acrobat
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/
not seen or perceived
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
vaultedadjectiveUS /ˈvɔːltɪd/
having a hemispherical vault or dome
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
vine-leaves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
wardnounUS /wɔːrd/
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
at the time that
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
whirlpoolnounUS /ˈwɜːrlpuːl/
a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
a Caucasian
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
in the company of; together with
From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading THE THATCHED COTTAGE But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
