used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
Amy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
Amy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
café
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
prepare a hot meal
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
dineverbUS /daɪn/
have supper; eat dinner
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
Ethel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
genialadjectiveUS /ˈdʒiːnjəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
the act of giving
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
destroyed or killed
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had a sea-food supper and later he took them to a play.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
the state of being honored
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading They had a sea-food supper and later he took them to a play.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
come together
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
participate in games or sport
From this reading They had a sea-food supper and later he took them to a play.
precedingadjectiveUS /priˈsiːdɪŋ/
existing or coming before
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
sea-food
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had a sea-food supper and later he took them to a play.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading They had a sea-food supper and later he took them to a play.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They had a sea-food supper and later he took them to a play.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had a sea-food supper and later he took them to a play.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
precisely as stated
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
waitressnounUS /ˈweɪtrəs/
a woman waiter
From this reading Amy was giving a dinner the next evening in her honour; and to let the cook and the waitress have a rest on the preceding night, Joe took Amy and Ethel out to dine in a café.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Ethel had been about four weeks in town, and now she was to meet Amy's friends.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading His business had gone well that week and Joe was a genial husband.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
at the time that
From this reading When they came home, Ethel went to her room, for she felt very tired.
