used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
accountingnounUS /əˈkaʊntɪŋ/
a convincing explanation that reveals basic causes
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
boundarynounUS /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/
A line that marks the limits of an area.
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
bricknounUS /brɪk/
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
contactnounUS /ˈkɑːntækt/
close interaction
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
CRAY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OSWALD CRAY.
curvesnounUS /kɜːrvz/
plural of “curve” — the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
to an extreme degree
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
extensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstensɪv/
large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
gable-ends
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
destroyed or killed
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
innovationnounUS /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən/
a creation (a new device or process) resulting from study and experimentation
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
junctionnounUS /ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
the place where two or more things come together
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
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 the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
mansionnounUS /ˈmænʃən/
(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
moderateverbUS /ˈmɑːdərət/
preside over
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
obnoxiousadjectiveUS /ɑːbˈnɑːkʃəs/
causing disapproval or protest
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
offensiveadjectiveUS /əˈfensɪv/
violating or tending to violate or offend against
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
and nothing more
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
OSWALDnounUS /ˈɔːzwɔːld/
United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963)
From this reading OSWALD CRAY.
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
on the contrary
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
sparedverbUS /sperd/
past form of “spare” — refrain from harming
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
storeys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
confined on all sides
From this reading It was exceedingly comfortable inside, and was surrounded by rather extensive grounds.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
tangentnounUS /ˈtændʒənt/
a straight line or plane that touches a curve or curved surface at a point but does not intersect it at that point
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
tracksnounUS /træks/
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
precisely as stated
From this reading There was no accounting for the curves and tracks taken by those lines of the junction, and one of them had gone off at a tangent to skirt the very boundary of her land.
vulgaradjectiveUS /ˈvʌlɡər/
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The house of Lady Oswald was an old-fashioned red brick mansion of moderate size, two storeys in height only, and with gable-ends.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading At the opposite end of the town to the station, it might have been thought that that vulgar innovation, the railroad, so especially obnoxious to Lady Oswald, would at least have spared it offensive contact; but that was not to be.
