used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
amazedadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
Bella
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
the process of giving careful thought to something
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
embarrassmentnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
encounterverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntər/
come together
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
a man of refinement
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
a young female
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
gottenverbUS /ˈɡɑːtən/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
and nothing more
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
justifiableadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪəbəl/
capable of being justified
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
in the recent past
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
Mertens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
on one occasion
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
cut with a saw
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
shyverbUS /ʃaɪ/
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
having a supporting base
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Elizabeth, much amazed, at once guessed the reason of her coming, and tried to help her in her embarrassment by saying how glad she was to have a visit from a little girl, and by asking her to come into the garden.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In consideration of the scene of the day before, her surprise was certainly justifiable, when, as the gate was opened, she saw Bella standing before her.
at the time that
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Behind the child stood Miss Mertens and the elderly gentleman with whom Elizabeth had lately had an evening encounter.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading As she entered Bella extended her hand, but looked shy and confused and said not a word.
work-basket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had just gotten ready, the next afternoon, to go into the garden with her work-basket, when the bell rang at the gate in the wall.
