adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
afghannounUS /ˈæfɡæn/
a blanket knitted or crocheted in strips or squares; sometimes used as a shawl
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Christmas mystery was in the air.
Alan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
announceverbUS /əˈnaʊns/
make known; make an announcement
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
avoidverbUS /əˈvɔɪd/
stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
breathlesslyadverbUS /ˈbreθləsli/
in a breathless manner
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
CHRISTMASnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading JEAN'S CHRISTMAS EVE.
coververbUS /ˈkʌvər/
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
disgustverbUS /dɪsˈɡʌst/
fill with distaste
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
especialadjectiveUS /əˈspeʃəl/
surpassing what is common or usual or expected
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
EVEnounUS /iːv/
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
From this reading JEAN'S CHRISTMAS EVE.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
fournounUS /fɔːr/
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
gayadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
greetedverbUS /ˈɡriːtəd/
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Christmas mystery was in the air.
inquiredverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərd/
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/
resulting from one's intentions
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
JEAN'SnounUS /dʒiːnz/
possessive form of “jean” — a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading JEAN'S CHRISTMAS EVE.
makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
mysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading Christmas mystery was in the air.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
pairnounUS /per/
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
properadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːpər/
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
protestingverbUS /prəˈtestɪŋ/
-ing form of “protest” — utter words of protest
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
rushedadjectiveUS /rʌʃt/
done under pressure
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
sightnounUS /saɪt/
an instance of visual perception
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
skatingnounUS /ˈskeɪtɪŋ/
the sport of gliding on skates
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
sortsnounUS /sɔːrts/
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
stripesnounUS /straɪps/
V-shaped sleeve badge indicating military rank and service
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Christmas mystery was in the air.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
triflesnounUS /ˈtraɪfəlz/
plural of “trifle” — a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
usenounUS /juːs/
the act of using
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Christmas mystery was in the air.
weeksnounUS /wiːks/
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
What's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the use of making such a time about it?" inquired Alan, in some disgust one day.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
whiskedverbUS /wɪskt/
past form of “whisk” — move somewhere quickly
From this reading For weeks the girls had been busy over all sorts of gay trifles which were whisked out of sight, now and then, to avoid some particular pair of curious eyes that were not intended to see them until the proper moment came.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had rushed breathlessly into the room to announce the first skating of the season, and was greeted with four protesting voices, as the girls tried to cover up the stripes of the afghan they were making for his own especial use.
