used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
admirableadjectiveUS /ˈædmərəbəl/
deserving of the highest esteem or admiration
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
arrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/
past form of “arrest” — take into custody
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
next to; at the side of
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/
for a short time
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
casualadjectiveUS /ˈkæʒəwəl/
marked by blithe unconcern
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
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 She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
From this reading “Dearest mamma!”
detachedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtætʃt/
showing lack of emotional involvement
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
drawling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
put on clothes
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
divisible by two
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
communicated in words
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
flattenedadjectiveUS /ˈflætənd/
having been flattened
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
franklyadverbUS /ˈfræŋkli/
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
implicationnounUS /ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃən/
something that is inferred (deduced or entailed or implied)
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
marked by a lack of interest
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
a polite name for any woman
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
Luard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
maidservantnoun
a female domestic
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
engage in
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “Dearest mamma!”
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
a particular point in time
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
mottledadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːtəld/
having spots or patches of color
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
by chance
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
retreatingverbUS /riˈtriːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “retreat” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
not moving or operating freely
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
in or at that place or location
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had never been able to follow the argument, but that is a detail.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
precisely as stated
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
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 I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
at the time that
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She stood there under the lamp with her eyes on me; she was very tall, very stiff, very cold, and always looked as if these things, and some others beside, in her dress, her manner and even her name, were an implication that she was very admirable.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading I expressed briefly and frankly what I felt, while the little mottled maidservant flattened herself against the wall of the narrow passage and tried to look detached without looking indifferent.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
the act of creating written works
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It was not a moment to make a visit, and I was on the point of retreating when Lady Luard arrested me with a queer, casual, drawling “Would you—a—would you, perhaps, be _writing_ something?”
