used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading He could never forget this room and all that it had held for him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; daughter if James II and the last of the Stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last English ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could never forget this room and all that it had held for him.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading He could never forget this room and all that it had held for him.
yet to be or coming
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
a long fixed look
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading He could never forget this room and all that it had held for him.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
imprecationnoun
the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult)
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
intimacynounUS /ˈɪntəməsi/
close or warm friendship
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He could never forget this room and all that it had held for him.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
luxuriousadjectiveUS /ləɡˈʒɜːriəs/
displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He could never forget this room and all that it had held for him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
paradisenounUS /ˈperədaɪs/
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
staunchadjectiveUS /stɔːntʃ/
firm and dependable especially in loyalty
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
possessing sweep
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He could never forget this room and all that it had held for him.
unvoicedadjective
produced without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading A sigh that ended in an unvoiced imprecation escaped him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Here he had dreamed of paradise with Anne, and here he had built upon his hopes,—a staunch future that demanded little of the imagination.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was not an object in the room that did not possess for him a peculiar claim of intimacy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His gaze swept the long, luxurious drawing-room, now filled with the shadows of late afternoon.
