used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
(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 She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At Paris she tried and failed to dine.
availverbUS /əˈveɪl/
use to one's advantage
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
CalaisnounUS /kəˈleɪ/
a town in northern France on the Strait of Dover that serves as a ferry port to England
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
ChannelnounUS /ˈtʃænəl/
a path over which electrical signals can pass
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
choppyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɑːpi/
marked by abrupt transitions
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
without stop or interruption
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
a female human offspring
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
detestverbUS /dɪˈtest/
dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
detestableadjective
offensive to the mind
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
dineverbUS /daɪn/
have supper; eat dinner
From this reading At Paris she tried and failed to dine.
dismallyadverbUS /ˈdɪzməli/
in a cheerless manner
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading At Paris she tried and failed to dine.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
Hilary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
not any; not one
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
many times at short intervals
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
any member of a ship's crew
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
sailorsnounUS /ˈseɪlərz/
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
saltsnounUS /sɔːlts/
plural of “salt” — a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
except for; apart from
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
smelledverbUS /smeld/
past form of “smell” — inhale the odor of; perceive by the olfactory sense
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
create by training and teaching
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
trainsnounUS /treɪnz/
plural of “train” — public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading At Paris she tried and failed to dine.
wagons-lits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Channel was choppy and she a bad sailor; the train from Calais to Paris continued the motion, and she remained a bad sailor (bad sailors often do this).
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She lay back and smelled salts, and they were of no avail.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE DAUGHTER Mrs. Hilary hated travelling, which is indeed detestable.
which person or people
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading She passed a wretched night, being of those who detest nights in trains without _wagons-lits_, but save money by not having _wagons-lits_, and wonder dismally all night if it is worth it.
