Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

call attention to

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

(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 Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

plural of “bay” — an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

a county in southern England

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

having broad shoulders

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading He was certainly a handsome fellow; there was no denying that.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

-ing form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading He was certainly a handsome fellow; there was no denying that.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

opinion or judgment

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

being or in accordance with current social fashions

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

a boy or man

From this reading He was certainly a handsome fellow; there was no denying that.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

British historian remembered for his ten-volume history of England (1829-1902)

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

highly enthusiastic

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was certainly a handsome fellow; there was no denying that.

A person legally or magically entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

the act of retaining something

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

plural of “item” — a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

United States diplomat and jurist who negotiated peace treaties with Britain and served as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1829)

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

plural of “maiden” — an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

a state in New England; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

not any; not one

From this reading He was certainly a handsome fellow; there was no denying that.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

above and across; more than

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

plural of “porch” — a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

-ing form of “prance” — to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

plural of “ribbon” — any long object resembling a thin line

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

with skill

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

not in physical motion

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading He was passing the summer at the fashionable little village of Lee, among the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.

an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading That did more to advertise the place than all the glowing newspaper items the proprietor of the Summerset House could have paid for.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was certainly a handsome fellow; there was no denying that.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

in or at that place or location

From this reading He was certainly a handsome fellow; there was no denying that.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

moved around an axis or center

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.

which person or people

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading The Wife who was Not a Wife As Jay Gardiner drove down the village street behind his handsome pair of prancing bays, holding the ribbons skillfully over them, all the village maidens promenading up the village street or sitting in groups on the porches turned to look at him.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a fair, handsome face, laughing blue eyes, a crisp, brown, curling mustache, and, what was better still, he was heir to two millions of money.