used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
anew
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
(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 moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
betake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
bullynounUS /ˈbʊli/
a cruel and brutal fellow
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
Chia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
cold-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
confidentiallyadverbUS /ˌkɑːnfəˈdenʃəli/
in a confidential manner
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
being joined in close association
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
intentionally conceived
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
courtyard-entrance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
dowagernounUS /ˈdaʊədʒər/
a widow holding property received from her deceased husband
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
a boy or man
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
Hsing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
Hsing's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
idioticadjectiveUS /ˌɪdiˈɑːtɪk/
insanely irresponsible
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
inmatenounUS /ˈɪnmeɪt/
one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
learntverbUS /lɜːrnt/
inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
lewdadjectiveUS /luːd/
suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
matronsnounUS /ˈmeɪtrənz/
plural of “matron” — a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
a particular point in time
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
narrativenounUS /ˈnærətɪv/
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
and nothing more
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
promptedverbUS /ˈprɑːmptɪd/
past form of “prompt” — give an incentive for action
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
promptlyadverbUS /ˈprɑːmptli/
with little or no delay
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
with speed
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
retraceverbUS /riˈtreɪs/
to go back over again
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
runsnounUS /rʌnz/
plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
cut with a saw
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
suitenounUS /swiːt/
a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
thrashingnounUS /ˈθræʃɪŋ/
a sound defeat
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The moment, however, she stepped inside the courtyard-entrance, several matrons promptly explained to her, quite confidentially, that their old mistress had been told all only a few minutes back, and she meant to retrace her steps, (but she saw that) every inmate in the suite of rooms was already conscious of her presence.
triesnounUS /traɪz/
plural of “try” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading An idiotic bully tries to be lewd and comes in for a sound thrashing.
a source of difficulty
From this reading A cold-hearted fellow is prompted by a dread of trouble to betake himself to a strange place.
Wang
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
accept gladly
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As soon as Madame Wang, so runs our narrative, heard of Madame Hsing's arrival, she quickly went out to welcome her.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
Yang's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
but in spite of that
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
Yüan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame Hsing was not yet aware that dowager lady Chia had learnt everything connected with Yüan Yang's affair, and she was coming again to see which way the wind blew.
