used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
alarmingadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmɪŋ/
frightening because of an awareness of danger
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
Bowater
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
clothing in general
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
dearly loved
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/
superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
GenevanounUS /dʒəˈniːvə/
a city in southwestern Switzerland at the western end of Lake Geneva; it is the headquarters of various international organizations
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
that which is pleasing or valuable or useful
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
inlaidadjectiveUS /ˈɪnleɪd/
adorned by inlays
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
immediately past
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
lidnounUS /lɪd/
either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
materialsnounUS /məˈtɪriəlz/
plural of “material” — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
miniaturenounUS /ˈmɪniətʃʊr/
painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
NeedingverbUS /ˈniːdɪŋ/
-ing form of “need” — require as useful, just, or proper
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
needlewomannoun
someone who makes or mends dresses
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
passableadjectiveUS /ˈpæsəbəl/
able to be passed or traversed or crossed
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
preferredadjectiveUS /prəˈfɜːrd/
more desirable than another
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
presentsnounUS /ˈprezənts/
plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
purchasenounUS /ˈpɜːrtʃəs/
the acquisition of something for payment
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
on the contrary
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
replenishmentnounUS /rɪˈplenɪʃmənt/
filling again by supplying what has been used up
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
sacrificesnounUS /ˈsækrəfaɪsɪz/
plural of “sacrifice” — the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
serviceableadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrvəsəbəl/
ready for service or able to give long service
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/
plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
shinyadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪni/
reflecting light
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
sixtyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪksti/
being ten more than fifty
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
in the near future
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
sovereignadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːv.rən/
Possessing supreme or ultimate power; autonomous and commanding.
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
SwissnounUS /swɪs/
the natives or inhabitants of Switzerland
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Rather than "fine," Mrs Bowater preferred things "good"; and for this "goodness," I must confess, she sometimes made rather alarming sacrifices of appearance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
transactverbUS /trænˈzækt/
conduct business
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
wardrobenounUS /ˈwɔːrdroʊb/
a tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes
From this reading There she would purchase for me any little trifle required for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
at the time that
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
workboxnoun
container for holding implements and materials for work (especially for sewing)
From this reading Still, I was already possessed of a serviceable stock of clothes, and by aid of one of my dear mother's last presents to me, a shiny Swiss miniature workbox with an inlaid picture of the Lake of Geneva on the lid, I soon became a passable needlewoman.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading Needing so little, I could afford the finest materials; my sovereign was worth at least sixty shillings.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Occasionally when she had "business" to transact, Mrs Bowater would be off to London.
