used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
carpetedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːrpətɪd/
covered with or as if with carpeting or with carpeting as specified; often used in combination
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
circlingverbUS /ˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “circle” — travel around something
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
DahlianounUS /ˈdæljə/
any of several plants of or developed from the species Dahlia pinnata having tuberous roots and showy rayed variously colored flower heads; native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America and Colombia
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
deckedverbUS /dekt/
past form of “deck” — be beautiful to look at
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
flutteringnounUS /ˈflʌtərɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
a young female
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
indoorsadverbUS /ˈɪndɔːrz/
within a building
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
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 Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
a particular point in time
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
NannounUS /næn/
your grandmother
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
cut with a saw
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
with low volume
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
stairwaynounUS /ˈsterweɪ/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
suitedadjectiveUS /ˈsuːtɪd/
meant or adapted for an occasion or use
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading It was a strange room for each girl had decked her half of it as best suited her taste.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
verandanounUS /vərˈændə/
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
a Caucasian
From this reading A moment later she saw the fluttering of a small white handkerchief.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The girls waved their hands, then turned indoors and climbed the wide, softly carpeted stairway and entered the room which they shared together.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The two girls with arms about each other stood on the front veranda watching as Miss Dahlia was being driven along the circling drive.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Nan knew that she would turn and wave at the gate.
