Chapter VII · Chapter 7

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

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

a compact fine-textured, usually white gypsum used for carving

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

(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 She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

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

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

next to; at the side of

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading "I didn't get a chance.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

dearly loved

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

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

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

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

From this reading "I didn't get a chance.

a wide scope

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

set up or found

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

English lexicographer who wrote a well-known book on English usage (1858-1933)

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

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

From this reading No, Gabriella had not told him.

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

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "I didn't get a chance.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading No, Gabriella had not told him.

a small number or amount

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

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

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I didn't get a chance.

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

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

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

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

the kinship relation between an offspring and the mother

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

immediately following in time or order

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

not any; not one

From this reading No, Gabriella had not told him.

the middle of the day

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading No, Gabriella had not told him.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

joining or attaching by stitches

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

plural of “snowflake” — a crystal of snow

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

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

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

express in words

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

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

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

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

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading No, Gabriella had not told him.

an open jar of glass or porcelain used as an ornament or to hold flowers

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.

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

From this reading She felt now that she should never be able to tell him, but all she said was:

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

in or at the place that

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading MOTHERHOOD At noon the next day Mrs. Fowler came into Gabriella's room and found her sewing beside the window which looked on a gray expanse of sky and street, where a few snowflakes were falling.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Did you tell him, dear?" she asked, arranging a handful of red roses in a little alabaster vase on the desk.