adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
accustomedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌstəmd/
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
basketsnounUS /ˈbæskəts/
plural of “basket” — a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
bednounUS /bed/
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For weeks before the house had been getting ready.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Two days before Christmas Delight came out.
belovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/
dearly loved
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
blossomedverbUS /ˈblɑːsəmd/
past form of “blossom” — produce or yield flowers
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
bookcasesnounUS /ˈbʊkkeɪsɪz/
plural of “bookcase” — a piece of furniture with shelves for storing books
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
bouquetsnounUS /boʊˈkeɪz/
plural of “bouquet” — an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Two days before Christmas Delight came out.
chairnounUS /tʃer/
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading Two days before Christmas Delight came out.
cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
darknounUS /dɑːrk/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Two days before Christmas Delight came out.
debutante's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
DelightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading Two days before Christmas Delight came out.
flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For weeks before the house had been getting ready.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/
the act of acquiring something
From this reading For weeks before the house had been getting ready.
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For weeks before the house had been getting ready.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
landingsnounUS /ˈlændɪŋz/
plural of “landing” — an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Two days before Christmas Delight came out.
paper-hangers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading For weeks before the house had been getting ready.
receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
rectornounUS /ˈrektər/
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
rectorynounUS /ˈrektəri/
an official residence provided by a church for its parson or vicar or rector
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
relegatedverbUS /ˈreləɡeɪtɪd/
past form of “relegate” — refer to another person for decision or judgment
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
stepladdersnounUS /ˈsteplædərz/
plural of “stepladder” — a folding portable ladder hinged at the top
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
toldverbUS /toʊld/
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
TwonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two days before Christmas Delight came out.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
upholsterer's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rector, looking about for his accustomed chair, had been told it was at the upholsterer's, or had found his beloved and ragged old books relegated to dark corners of the bookcases.
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
weeksnounUS /wiːks/
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading For weeks before the house had been getting ready.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were always stepladders on the landings, and paper-hangers waiting until a man got out of bed in the morning.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading There was an afternoon reception at the rectory, and the plain old house blossomed with the debutante's bouquets and baskets of flowers.
