used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
the state of being absent
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
ambassadressnounUS /æmˈbæsədrəs/
a woman ambassador
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
ceilingsnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋz/
plural of “ceiling” — the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
changesnounUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒəz/
plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
conceptionnounUS /kənˈsepʃən/
an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
curtseyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
diminishedadjectiveUS /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/
impaired by diminution
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
divisible by two
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
grandeurnounUS /ɡrænˈduːr/
the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
intervalnounUS /ˈɪntərvəl/
a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
Kate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
Langton-Courtenay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
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 It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
characterized by grandeur
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
mortificationnounUS /ˈmɔːrtəfkeɪʃən/
strong feelings of embarrassment
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
one's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
shrunkenadjectiveUS /ˈʃrʌŋkən/
lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
small or little relative to something else
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
suitenounUS /swiːt/
a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Even a short absence changes most curiously this first conception of grandeur.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
precisely as stated
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
at the time that
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
which person or people
From this reading When Kate ran into Langton-Courtenay on her return, rushing through the row of new servants, who bowed and curtseyed in the hall, her sense of mortification and disappointment was intense.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Everything had shrunken somehow; the rooms were smaller, the ceilings lower, the whole place diminished.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Were these the rooms which she had compared in her mind with the suite in which the English ambassadress gave her ball?
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading It is a curious sensation to return, after a long interval, to the home of one’s youth, especially if one has had very great ideas of that home, and thought it magnificent.
