used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
Bram
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
BRAM'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BRAM’S DISMISSAL.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
diffidencenoun
lack of self-confidence
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
DISMISSALnounUS /dɪˈsmɪsəl/
a judgment disposing of the matter without a trial
From this reading BRAM’S DISMISSAL.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
communicated in words
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
opinion or judgment
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
farmhousenounUS /ˈfɑːrmhaʊs/
house for a farmer and family
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
farmyardnounUS /ˈfɑːrmjɑːrd/
an area adjacent to farm buildings
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
Joan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
middle-agedadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
modestadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːdəst/
marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
have ownership or possession of
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
past form of “print” — put into print
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
a general conscious awareness
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Indeed Joan could read character in a face much more easily than she could read a printed page.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He went through the farmyard to the back door, and gave a modest knock.
which person or people
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was with some diffidence that Bram presented himself at the farmhouse door that evening.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
YorkshirenounUS /ˈjɔːrkʃər/
a former large county in northern England; in 1974 it was divided into three smaller counties
From this reading It was Joan, the servant, who opened the door to him, and Bram, as his own eyes met those of the middle-aged Yorkshire woman, had a strong sense that she read him, as he would have expressed it, “like a book.”
