used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
accommodationnounUS /əˌkɑːməˈdeɪʃən/
making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading That tree was like another smile to the place.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
carpenter'snounUS /ˈkɑːrpəntərz/
possessive form of “carpenter” — a woodworker who makes or repairs wooden objects
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
chambersnounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbərz/
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
elmnounUS /elm/
any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
set up or found
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
landladynounUS /ˈlændleɪdi/
a landlord who is a woman
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
a narrow way or road
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
LeonardnounUS /ˈlenərd/
United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading That tree was like another smile to the place.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
lodgernoun
a tenant in someone's house
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
lodgingsnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋz/
temporary living quarters
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
neighbourhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
by chance
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading That tree was like another smile to the place.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
the back of a military formation or procession
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That tree was like another smile to the place.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Leonard and Helen settled themselves in two little chambers in a small lane.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The neighbourhood was dull enough, the accommodation humble; but their landlady had a smile.
at the time that
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading That was the reason, perhaps, why Helen chose the lodgings: a smile is not always found on the face of a landlady when the lodger is poor.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading And out of their windows they caught sight of a green tree, an elm, that grew up fair and tall in a carpenter's yard at the rear.