used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Soon she and Travis would be strolling there, too.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
lacking funds
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
rid of obstructions
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
floatingadjectiveUS /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
flutterverbUS /ˈflʌtər/
move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
gownsnounUS /ɡaʊnz/
plural of “gown” — a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
hallsnounUS /hɔːlz/
plural of “hall” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
LeenounUS /liː/
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
lengtheningnounUS /ˈleŋθənɪŋ/
the act of prolonging something
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
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 A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
mansionnounUS /ˈmænʃən/
(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
messagesnounUS /ˈmesədʒəz/
plural of “message” — a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
pianonounUS /piˈænoʊ/
a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
ribbonsnounUS /ˈrɪbənz/
plural of “ribbon” — any long object resembling a thin line
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
cut with a saw
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
shuttingnounUS /ˈʃʌtɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
in the near future
From this reading Soon she and Travis would be strolling there, too.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
springsnounUS /sprɪŋz/
plural of “spring” — the season of growth
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
strolledverbUS /stroʊld/
past form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
strollingverbUS /ˈstroʊlɪŋ/
-ing form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
From this reading Soon she and Travis would be strolling there, too.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Soon she and Travis would be strolling there, too.
Travis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Soon she and Travis would be strolling there, too.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Some one began playing on the piano in the drawing-room below, and a familiar air came floating up to her, clear and sweet.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was much opening and shutting of doors, and calling of gay messages across the halls as the old mansion awoke to life.
a Caucasian
From this reading Long before she was dressed for dinner, Mary Lee saw a flutter of ribbons and white gowns under the trees as some of the girls strolled down to the springs through the lengthening shadows.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Soon she and Travis would be strolling there, too.
the act of creating written works
From this reading A sound of voices broke out through the house long before Mary Lee had finished writing.
