used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
brightenedverbUS /ˈbraɪtənd/
past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
BrusselsnounUS /ˈbrʌsəlz/
the capital and largest city of Belgium; seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
comprehendverbUS /ˌkɑːmpriˈhend/
get the meaning of something
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
conventionaladjectiveUS /kənˈvenʃənəl/
following accepted customs and proprieties
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
engravingsnounUS /ɪnˈɡreɪvɪŋz/
plural of “engraving” — a print made from an engraving
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
divisible by two
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
coins made of gold
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
the literary culture
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
lingeredverbUS /ˈlɪŋɡərd/
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
MortonnounUS /ˈmɔːrtən/
United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
outlinenounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪn/
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
polishedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːlɪʃt/
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
(especially of incident sound or light) bent or sent back
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
rockingverbUS /ˈrɑːkɪŋ/
-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
semblancenounUS /ˈsembləns/
an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading
From this reading It brightened the conventional flowers of the old crimson Brussels carpet into a semblance of life.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
somberadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːmbər/
lacking brightness or color; dull
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
not in physical motion
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
the rays of the sun
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading She had read it through for the second time, and still she gazed at the lines as if she could not quite comprehend their meaning.
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 It caught the gold outline of the wall paper and lingered there--even the somber steel engravings reflected the light from the polished glass over them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
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 Mrs. Morton sat in her low rocking chair by the window reading a letter from her husband.
in the company of; together with
From this reading LETTERS AND A SURPRISE The sitting room in the Morton home was cheerful with sunshine.
