adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Serena was at a table, a French book and dictionary open before her.
booknounUS /bʊk/
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Serena was at a table, a French book and dictionary open before her.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
casenounUS /keɪs/
an occurrence of something
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/
a female human offspring
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
dictionarynounUS /ˈdɪkʃəneri/
a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them
From this reading Serena was at a table, a French book and dictionary open before her.
dinner-party
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
distractionsnounUS /dɪˈstrækʃənz/
plural of “distraction” — mental turmoil
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
domesticadjectiveUS /dəˈmestɪk/
of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
ennuinounUS /eˈnuːi/
the feeling of being bored by something tedious
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading Serena was at a table, a French book and dictionary open before her.
frequentlyadverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntli/
many times at short intervals
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/
usually; as a rule
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
husband'snounUS /ˈhʌzbəndz/
possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
ill-humour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
indulgedverbUS /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒd/
past form of “indulge” — give free rein to
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
lossnounUS /lɔːs/
something that is lost
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
MayoraltynounUS /ˈmeɪərəlti/
the position of mayor
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
Mumbray
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/
many times at short intervals
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Serena was at a table, a French book and dictionary open before her.
preferredadjectiveUS /prəˈfɜːrd/
more desirable than another
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
quarrelnounUS /ˈkwɔːrəl/
an angry dispute
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
repairedverbUS /rɪˈperd/
past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
resortnounUS /rɪˈzɔːrt/
a hotel located in a resort area
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
Serena
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
servantsnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənts/
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/
small or little relative to something else
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
spendverbUS /spend/
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
spousenounUS /spaʊs/
a person's partner in marriage
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
suppliedverbUS /səˈplaɪd/
inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Serena was at a table, a French book and dictionary open before her.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
tooadverbUS /tuː/
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
trueadjectiveUS /truː/
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
unwontedadjective
unaccustomed or unusual
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
warfarenounUS /ˈwɔːrfer/
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Serena was at a table, a French book and dictionary open before her.
weighedverbUS /weɪd/
past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading One morning early in December, having indulged her ill-humour with even more than usual freedom among the servants, she repaired to the smaller drawing-room, where, at this hour, her daughter often sat reading.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But for domestic warfare, Mrs. Mumbray would often have been at a loss how to spend her time.
wranglenounUS /ˈræŋɡəl/
an angry dispute
From this reading For relief in the former case, she could generally resort to a quarrel with Serena; in the latter, she preferred to wrangle with her spouse.
yearnounUS /jɪr/
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading The year of her husband's Mayoralty supplied, it is true, a good many unwonted distractions, but in the middle of the morning, and late in the evening (if there were no dinner-party), _ennui_ too frequently weighed upon her.
