used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
anewadverbUS /əˈnuː/
again but in a new or different way
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
tried unsuccessfully
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
brushedadjectiveUS /brʌʃt/
touched lightly in passing; grazed against
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
chokeverbUS /tʃoʊk/
breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
clothingnounUS /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
cupsnounUS /kʌps/
plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
dizzinessnounUS /ˈdɪzinəs/
a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
inflected form of “drink” — take in liquids
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
put on clothes
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
take in solid food
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
frillsnounUS /frɪlz/
plural of “frill” — (paleontology) a bony plate that curves upward behind the skull of many ceratopsian dinosaurs
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
garmentnounUS /ˈɡɑːrmənt/
an article of clothing
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
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 Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
Joan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
knotnounUS /nɑːt/
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
mouthfulnounUS /ˈmaʊθfʊl/
the quantity that can be held in the mouth
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
not any; not one
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
parlournounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
only a very short time before
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
soakedadjectiveUS /soʊkt/
very drunk
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
SOWINGverbUS /ˈsoʊɪŋ/
-ing form of “sow” — place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth
From this reading SOWING THE WIND.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
swallowverbUS /ˈswɑːloʊ/
pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SOWING THE WIND.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
thirstyadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːrsti/
needing moisture
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
tinglingadjectiveUS /ˈtɪŋɡəlɪŋ/
exciting by touching lightly so as to cause laughter or twitching movements
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
toiletnounUS /ˈtɔɪlət/
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/
the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading Then she brushed her waving brown hair, twisting it into a loose knot at the back of her head; and, though she did not think of it, no style could have been more becoming to her.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
at the time that
From this reading The food seemed to choke her, and when she attempted to eat the effort brought on a feeling of dizziness and a tingling sensation in her limbs.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Her toilet completed, a few minutes after her aunt had left the house, she went to the parlour to get herself some tea, of which she drank two or three cups, for she felt unusually thirsty, but she could scarcely swallow a mouthful.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading SOWING THE WIND.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
wristsnounUS /rɪsts/
plural of “wrist” — a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading Joan went to her room and took off her wet things, for she was soaked to the skin, clothing herself anew in her Sunday dress a soft grey garment, with little frills about the neck and wrists.
