adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
apparentlyadverbUS /əˈperəntli/
from appearances alone
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
armnounUS /ɑːrm/
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
billsnounUS /bɪlz/
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
chequenounUS /tʃek/
a written order directing a bank to pay money
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
CombernounUS /ˈkoʊmər/
a person who separates and straightens the fibers of cotton or wool
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
debtnounUS /det/
the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
delightedadjectiveUS /dɪˈlaɪtəd/
greatly pleased
From this reading And for the rest, I’m delighted that you told me about it.
eagerlyadverbUS /ˈiːɡərli/
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
earthlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrθli/
of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
excuseverbUS /ɪksˈkjuːs/
accept an excuse for
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
extraordinarilyadverbUS /ekˌstrɔːrdəˈnerəli/
extremely
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
Francis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/
the act of giving
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
gracefuladjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪsfəl/
characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
gracefullyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪsfəli/
in a graceful manner
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And for the rest, I’m delighted that you told me about it.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
MichaelnounUS /ˈmaɪkəl/
(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
paidadjectiveUS /peɪd/
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
perfectlyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrfəktli/
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
putverbUS /pʊt/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/
with speed
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/
To recall to mind.
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
restverbUS /rest/
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading And for the rest, I’m delighted that you told me about it.
runverbUS /rʌn/
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
smileverbUS /smaɪl/
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
sofanounUS /ˈsoʊfə/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
squareverbUS /skwer/
make square
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
takeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
thoroughlyadverbUS /ˈθɜːroʊli/
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
ThoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
toldverbUS /toʊld/
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
visiblyadverbUS /ˈvɪzəbli/
in a visible manner
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Though there was nothing visibly graceful about Michael Comber, he apparently had the art of giving gracefully.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
writeverbUS /raɪt/
produce a literary work
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
wroteverbUS /roʊt/
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading He had already told his cousin Francis, who sat on the arm of the sofa by his table, that there was no earthly excuse for his having run into debt; but now when the moment came for giving, he wrote the cheque quickly and eagerly, as if thoroughly enjoying it, and passed it over to him with a smile that was extraordinarily pleasant.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “There you are, then, Francis,” he said; “and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again.
You've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You’ve got to write to me, remember, in two days’ time, saying that you have paid those bills.
