used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
anew
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
announcementnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/
a formal public statement
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
bellenounUS /bel/
a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
Cora'snounUS /ˈkɔːrəz/
possessive form of “cora” — (Greek mythology) daughter of Zeus and Demeter; made queen of the underworld by Pluto in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Proserpina
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
enchantingadjectiveUS /enˈtʃæntɪŋ/
capturing interest as if by a spell
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
enviouslyadverbUS /ˈenviəsli/
with jealousy; in an envious manner
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
Ernest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
gaylyadverb
in a joyous manner
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
and nothing more
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
manounUS /mɑː/
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
the force of workers available
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
namingnounUS /ˈneɪmɪŋ/
the verbal act of naming
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
NoelnounUS /noʊˈel/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
and nothing more
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
having a margin incised almost to the base so as to create distinct divisions or lobes
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
pearlyadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrli/
of a white the color of pearls
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
pierceverbUS /pɪrs/
cut or make a way through
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
pleadedverbUS /ˈpliːdɪd/
past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
established beyond doubt
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
radiantadjectiveUS /ˈreɪdiːənt/
radiating or as if radiating light
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading Cora’s red lips parted over her pearly teeth in an enchanting smile of joy, as she answered:
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
unfaithfuladjectiveUS /ənˈfeɪθfəl/
not true to duty or obligation or promises
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Frank has just gone, and we were naming the wedding day again.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
the day immediately before today
From this reading She knew well that the announcement would pierce his heart like a sword, for only yesterday Ernest had proved unfaithful to his friend and pleaded for her love.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “How radiant you look, ma belle!” he exclaimed enviously.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young men nodded gayly at each other, then Ernest Noel passed into the house.
