used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
anew
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
arm-chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
asphaltnounUS /ˈæsfɔːlt/
mixed asphalt and crushed gravel or sand; used especially for paving but also for roofing
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading TIME February at St. Mary's Bay.
AutobiographynounUS /ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɑːɡrəfi/
a biography of yourself
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading TIME February at St. Mary's Bay.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
CabinetnounUS /ˈkæbənət/
a piece of furniture resembling a cupboard with doors and shelves and drawers; for storage or display
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
CrescentnounUS /ˈkresənt/
any shape resembling the curved shape of the moon in its first or last quarters
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/
the month following January and preceding March
From this reading TIME February at St. Mary's Bay.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
flickeredverbUS /ˈflɪkərd/
past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
flutteredverbUS /ˈflʌtərd/
past form of “flutter” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
Grandmama
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
gratenounUS /ɡreɪt/
a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
GullsnounUS /ɡʌlz/
plural of “gull” — a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
hearthnounUS /hɑːrθ/
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
Hilary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
MarineadjectiveUS /mərˈiːn/
of or relating to the sea
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
Mary'snounUS /ˈmeriz/
possessive form of “mary” — the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading TIME February at St. Mary's Bay.
Minister'snounUS /ˈmɪnɪstərz/
possessive form of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
moaningverbUS /ˈmoʊnɪŋ/
-ing form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
novelsnounUS /ˈnɑːvəlz/
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
patteringly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
pavementsnounUS /ˈpeɪvmənts/
plural of “pavement” — the paved surface of a thoroughfare
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
reviewernounUS /riˈvjuːər/
someone who reads manuscripts and judges their suitability for publication
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
the state of being asleep
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
slopedadjective
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
St
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TIME February at St. Mary's Bay.
make steady
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
confined on all sides
From this reading Mrs. Hilary sat in another arm-chair, surrounded by bad novels, as if she had been a reviewer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading TIME February at St. Mary's Bay.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
tumbledverbUS /ˈtʌmbəld/
past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Grandmama sat in her arm-chair by the hearth, reading the Autobiography of a Cabinet Minister's Wife and listening to the fire, the sea and the rain, and sleeping a little now and again.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The steady rain sloped against the closed windows of The Gulls, and dropped patteringly on the asphalt pavements of Marine Crescent outside, and the cold grey sea tumbled moaning.
windyadjectiveUS /ˈwɪndi/
abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The small fire flickered and fluttered in the grate with a sound like the windy beating of wings.
