used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
for the reason that
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
lacking funds
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
disgustedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈɡʌstəd/
having a strong distaste from surfeit
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
draggingadjectiveUS /ˈdræɡɪŋ/
marked by a painfully slow and effortful manner
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
one or the other of two
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
at any time
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
finishingnounUS /ˈfɪnɪʃɪŋ/
a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance)
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
depressingly dark
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
iron-bound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
and nothing more
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
leapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
moany
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
mysteriouslyadverbUS /ˌmɪˈstɪriəsli/
in a cryptic manner
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
plumadverbUS /plʌm/
exactly
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
presentsnounUS /ˈprezənts/
plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
shrieknounUS /ʃriːk/
sharp piercing cry
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This because it was close to Christmas, and they had been extremely busy finishing Christmas presents.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
at the time that
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
at any time that; every time that
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading But now the presents were really finished, two whole days before the Day.
whoopverbUS /wuːp/
shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading And so when the fourth morning broke just as grey and cold as ever, with a moany kind of wind dragging about outside the house, and leaping inside with a whoop whenever the door was opened, the two girls were, as Rose remarked, “plum disgusted.”
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading There had been three days of grim and gloomy weather, but little cared Rose and Ruth what colour the sky might be, nor how iron-bound the world without.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You kept running upon them bent mysteriously over some task, and what a shriek of agony either of them gave when thus surprised!
