used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
having fair knowledge of
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
agraffes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
alternativeadjectiveUS /ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv/
serving or used in place of another
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
arm-chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
bansheenounUS /bænˈʃiː/
(Irish folklore) a female spirit who wails to warn of impending death
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
for the reason that
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
Beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
beliefsnounUS /bɪˈliːfs/
plural of “belief” — any cognitive content held as true
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
blazingadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪzɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
bustverbUS /bʌst/
ruin completely
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
pleasing or delighting
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
cigarsnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːrz/
plural of “cigar” — a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
crooned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
cunningadjectiveUS /ˈkʌnɪŋ/
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
draperiesnounUS /ˈdreɪpəriz/
plural of “drapery” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
electedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlektəd/
subject to popular election
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
Eustace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
fatiguedadjectiveUS /fəˈtiːɡd/
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
firelightnoun
the light of a fire (especially in a fireplace)
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
forbadeverbUS /fərˈbeɪd/
inflected form of “forbid” — command against
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
Gordon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
horriblyadverbUS /ˈhɔːrəbli/
of a dreadful kind
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
jetnounUS /dʒet/
an airplane powered by one or more jet engines
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
Kirsty's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
lullabynounUS /ˈlʌləbaɪ/
a quiet song intended to lull a child to sleep
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
Maud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
the force of workers available
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
not any; not one
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
peatnounUS /piːt/
partially carbonized vegetable matter saturated with water; can be used as a fuel when dried
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
preferredadjectiveUS /prəˈfɜːrd/
more desirable than another
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
seductions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
semi-darkness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
for a short time
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
relating to human society and its members
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Semi-darkness because Kirsty's lamp smoking horribly, they preferred the light of the blazing peat fire.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
unmovedadjectiveUS /ənˈmuːvd/
emotionally unmoved
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
wailverbUS /weɪl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Being in reality much fatigued, however, he shortly afterwards gave way to the seductions of semi-darkness and an arm-chair.
at the time that
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Outside the wind crooned round the house,--a lullaby to ears acquainted with its other notes, but to those accustomed to the stillness of the south, a banshee wail of coming trouble.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading But the learned man's social beliefs forbade cigars when a charming woman was the alternative, so he elected to remain.
but in spite of that
From this reading With the firelight playing on the jet agraffes which held the cunning draperies on her gleaming bust and arms, Lady Maud was a picture few men could look on absolutely unmoved; but if Eustace Gordon felt the charm of her beauty, he gave no sign of it as yet.
