used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
Amelia's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN APPALLING APPARITION.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
Annie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
announcementnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/
a formal public statement
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
APPALLINGnounUS /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
an experience that appalls
From this reading AN APPALLING APPARITION.
APPARITIONnounUS /ˌæpərˈɪʃən/
a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading AN APPALLING APPARITION.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
assented
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
Bartley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
Bradstone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
bridesmaidsnounUS /ˈbraɪdzmeɪdz/
plural of “bridesmaid” — an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
a formal event performed on a special occasion
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
chagrinnounUS /ʃəˈɡrɪn/
strong feelings of embarrassment
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
dearly loved
From this reading “My dear Olivia,” she remonstrated in her most dignified manner.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
wanted intensely
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
desirousadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪrəs/
having or expressing desire for something
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
dignifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/
having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance
From this reading “My dear Olivia,” she remonstrated in her most dignified manner.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “My dear Olivia,” she remonstrated in her most dignified manner.
past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
limitnounUS /ˈlɪmət/
the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “My dear Olivia,” she remonstrated in her most dignified manner.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
used to form the superlative
From this reading “My dear Olivia,” she remonstrated in her most dignified manner.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “My dear Olivia,” she remonstrated in her most dignified manner.
information about recent and important events
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
Olivia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
Olivia's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
remonstrated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My dear Olivia,” she remonstrated in her most dignified manner.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The announcement of Olivia’s approaching marriage caused almost as much excitement as the news of her engagement.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading She had insisted upon the ceremony being as quiet a one as possible, and, for a wonder, Bartley Bradstone assented.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading At least a score of young ladies were desirous of acting as bridesmaids upon so famous an occasion, but Olivia desired to limit the number to two, and chose Annie and Mary, much to their delight and Aunt Amelia’s chagrin.
