adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
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 The wonderment in which she looked at Eileen was stamped all over her.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Linda stopped as if dazed.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
BattlenounUS /ˈbætəl/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
climbedverbUS /klaɪmd/
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
criedverbUS /kraɪd/
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
dazedadjectiveUS /deɪzd/
in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock
From this reading Linda stopped as if dazed.
decideverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/
reach, make, or come to a decision about something
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
effortnounUS /ˈefərt/
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
Eileen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
Eileen's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
fluffnounUS /flʌf/
any light downy material
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
frontnounUS /frʌnt/
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
furnounUS /fɜːr/
the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
hairnounUS /her/
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
hallnounUS /hɔːl/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
hatnounUS /hæt/
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/
an expression of greeting
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Linda stopped as if dazed.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
Linda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
Linda's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The wonderment in which she looked at Eileen was stamped all over her.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
newsnounUS /nuːz/
information about recent and important events
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The wonderment in which she looked at Eileen was stamped all over her.
presentedverbUS /priˈzentɪd/
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/
get something; come into possession of
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
redressnounUS /rɪˈdres/
a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
serveverbUS /sɜːrv/
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
severestadjectiveUS /səˈvɪrəst/
superlative of “severe” — intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
shocksnounUS /ʃɑːks/
plural of “shock” — the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
SmokenounUS /smoʊk/
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
stairsnounUS /sterz/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
stampedverbUS /stæmpt/
past form of “stamp” — walk heavily
From this reading The wonderment in which she looked at Eileen was stamped all over her.
stepnounUS /step/
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Linda stopped as if dazed.
studyingnounUS /ˈstʌdiɪŋ/
reading carefully with intent to remember
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
sufficientlyadverbUS /səˈfɪʃəntli/
to a sufficient degree
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
takeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
tellverbUS /tel/
express in words
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading At Linda’s step in the doorway she turned a smiling face upon her and cried: “Hello, little sister, come in and tell me the news.”
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Eileen had tossed her hat and fur upon a couch, seated herself at her dressing table, and was studying her hair in the effort to decide whether she could fluff it up sufficiently to serve for the evening or whether she must take it down and redress it.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The wonderment in which she looked at Eileen was stamped all over her.
wondermentnounUS /ˈwʌndərmənt/
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading The wonderment in which she looked at Eileen was stamped all over her.
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The Smoke of Battle Then Linda walked down the hall, climbed the front stairs, and presented herself at Eileen’s door, there to receive one of the severest shocks of her young life.
