used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
see with attention
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
characterizedverbUS /ˈkerəktəraɪzd/
past form of “characterize” — describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
cladadjectiveUS /klæd/
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
dancedverbUS /dænst/
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
disreputableadjectiveUS /dɪsˈrepjətəbəl/
lacking respectability in character or behavior or appearance
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
distinctivelyadverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋktɪvli/
in an identifiably distinctive manner
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
excitingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
flannelnounUS /ˈflænəl/
a soft light woolen fabric; used for clothing
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
gentle-bred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
I've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
engage in
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
Marjorie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
middle-agedadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
motherlyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌðərli/
befitting a mother; warm and nurturing
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
overallsnounUS /ˈoʊvərɔːlz/
plural of “overall” — (usually plural) work clothing consisting of denim trousers (usually with a bib and shoulder straps)
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
plumpadjectiveUS /plʌmp/
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
politelyadverbUS /pəˈlaɪtli/
in a polite manner
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/
a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
surprisingadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzɪŋ/
causing surprise or wonder or amazement
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
tannedadjectiveUS /tænd/
(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
tired-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
precisely as stated
From this reading And the fact that he was clad in a flannel shirt and very disreputable overalls did not make him the less distinctively gentle-bred.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
at the time that
From this reading There was nothing surprising or exciting to behold when the door flew open, and the two entered.
whimsicaladjectiveUS /ˈwɪmzɪkəl/
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
From this reading He was a tired-looking, middle-aged Englishman, with a tanned, plump face that had something whimsical and what Marjorie characterized to herself as motherly about it.
which person or people
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She had danced with him the night before, and it was pleasant to find that she had not to deal entirely with strangers.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Oh, I've met you before," said Marjorie politely to the man who had opened it.
