used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
abstractionnounUS /æbˈstrækʃən/
a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
From this reading These moments of pensive abstraction were characteristic of her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
AprilnounUS /ˈeɪprəl/
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Eugénie, are you there?'
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading These moments of pensive abstraction were characteristic of her.
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
a female human offspring
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
Eugénie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Eugénie, are you there?'
Findon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
without good reason
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
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 Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading These moments of pensive abstraction were characteristic of her.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
obstructedadjectiveUS /əbˈstrʌktɪd/
shut off to passage or view or hindered from action
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
outspreadadjective
fully extended in width
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading 'Yes, papa.'
Pastourelles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
peeringverbUS /ˈpiːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
pensiveadjectiveUS /ˈpensɪv/
deeply or seriously thoughtful
From this reading These moments of pensive abstraction were characteristic of her.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
recedingnounUS /rɪˈsiːdɪŋ/
a slow or gradual disappearance
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
short-sightedly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
not in physical motion
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Lord Findon, peering short-sightedly into the big drawing-room, obstructed by much furniture and darkened by many pictures, had not at first perceived the slender form of his daughter.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Eugénie, are you there?'
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These moments of pensive abstraction were characteristic of her.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
precisely as stated
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These moments of pensive abstraction were characteristic of her.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The April day was receding, and Eugénie de Pastourelles was sitting very still, her hands lightly clasped upon a letter which lay outspread upon her lap.
an affirmative
From this reading 'Yes, papa.'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Eugénie, are you there?'
