used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading Grace would have no wedding-cake, no breakfast (in that sense), and no fuss, no bridesmaids.
bridesmaidsnounUS /ˈbraɪdzmeɪdz/
plural of “bridesmaid” — an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding
From this reading Grace would have no wedding-cake, no breakfast (in that sense), and no fuss, no bridesmaids.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was to be by special licence, and quiet as quiet could be.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was to be by special licence, and quiet as quiet could be.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
fussverbUS /fʌs/
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading Grace would have no wedding-cake, no breakfast (in that sense), and no fuss, no bridesmaids.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
Grace'snounUS /ˈɡreɪsɪz/
possessive form of “grace” — (Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Grace would have no wedding-cake, no breakfast (in that sense), and no fuss, no bridesmaids.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
indulgeverbUS /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒ/
give free rein to
From this reading That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was to be by special licence, and quiet as quiet could be.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
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 That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
licencenounUS /ˈlaɪsəns/
excessive freedom; lack of due restraint
From this reading It was to be by special licence, and quiet as quiet could be.
LyonsnounUS /ˈlaɪənz/
a city in east-central France on the Rhone River; a principal producer of silk and rayon
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
a particular point in time
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
not any; not one
From this reading That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
obstinateadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbstənət/
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading That she was peculiar she knew; but she had no idea she would indulge in peculiar ideas about a wedding, and that wedding her own.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading It was to be by special licence, and quiet as quiet could be.
precisely, exactly
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Grace would have no wedding-cake, no breakfast (in that sense), and no fuss, no bridesmaids.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading It was to be by special licence, and quiet as quiet could be.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
a special situation
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading Lady Lyons was in a great state of excitement about Grace's wedding.
wedding-cake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grace would have no wedding-cake, no breakfast (in that sense), and no fuss, no bridesmaids.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
wilfuladjective
done by design
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She had large ideas as to what was the right thing to do; and she never for one moment thought that upon an occasion of this kind Grace would be wilful or obstinate.
