used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
brightnessnounUS /ˈbraɪtnəs/
the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
dingyadjectiveUS /ˈdɪndʒi/
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
remove the dust from
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
dustedverbUS /ˈdʌstɪd/
past form of “dust” — remove the dust from
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
Ellen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
Harwood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
horsehairnoun
hair taken from the mane or tail of a horse
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
a female domestic
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
motesnounUS /moʊts/
plural of “mote” — (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
not any; not one
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
remorselesslyadverb
without pity; in a merciless manner
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
shabbyadjectiveUS /ˈʃæbi/
showing signs of wear and tear
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
the rays of the sun
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The dingy cover on the table, the old-fashioned Books of Beauty, the black horsehair chairs, stood out remorselessly shabby in the sunshine.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading I had a long time to wait before Mrs. Harwood came.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The morning sun was shining into the room, making everything more dingy.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
at the time that
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading No doubt it had been dusted that morning as well as the little maid could dust it; but nothing looked pure or fresh in the brightness of the light, which was full of motes, and seemed to find out dust in every corner.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I wondered what kind of house Ellen would have when she furnished one for herself.
