used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
abruptadjectiveUS /əˈbrʌpt/
marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
adaptverbUS /əˈdæpt/
make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
coldnessnounUS /ˈkoʊldnəs/
the sensation produced by low temperatures
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
not accessible to view
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
defineverbUS /dɪˈfaɪn/
determine the essential quality of
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
a social unit living together
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
frettedadjectiveUS /ˈfretɪd/
having frets
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
Madeleine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
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 first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
as might be expected
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
open-airadjective
in the open air
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
oppressedadjectiveUS /əˈprest/
burdened psychologically or mentally
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
regularitynounUS /ˌreɡjəˈlerəti/
a property of polygons: the property of having equal sides and equal angles
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
repairsnounUS /rɪˈperz/
plural of “repair” — the act of putting something in working order again
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
Identical; not different.
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
Sandsgaard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
only a very short time before
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
sewing-maid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
not in physical motion
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
timidadjectiveUS /ˈtɪmɪd/
showing fear and lack of confidence
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
visitsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪts/
plural of “visit” — the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading She tried in vain to adapt herself to her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself quite out of health.
well-orderedadjective
ordered well
From this reading Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it; but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a well-ordered house was too abrupt.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
at the time that
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She had already made some acquaintance with the family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still oppressed her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various kinds to be seen to.
the act of creating written works
From this reading For a reason she could scarcely define, she concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
