used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
abundancenounUS /əˈbʌndəns/
the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The girls were even known as “those very clever Vivian girls.”
associatedverbUS /əˈsoʊsieɪtɪd/
past form of “associate” — make a logical or causal connection
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading The girls were even known as “those very clever Vivian girls.”
complexionnounUS /kəmˈplekʃən/
the coloring of a person's face
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
deedsnounUS /diːdz/
performance of moral or religious acts
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
divisible by two
From this reading The girls were even known as “those very clever Vivian girls.”
opinion or judgment
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
a social unit living together
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
generationsnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “generation” — all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
a young female
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The girls were even known as “those very clever Vivian girls.”
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
hazeladjectiveUS /ˈheɪzəl/
of a light brown or yellowish brown color
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
HerschelnounUS /ˈhɜːrʃəl/
English astronomer (son of William Herschel) who extended the catalogue of stars to the southern hemisphere and did pioneering work in photography (1792-1871)
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
hospitalitynounUS /ˌhɑːspəˈtæləti/
kindness in welcoming guests or strangers
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
intellectnounUS /ˈɪntəlekt/
knowledge and intellectual ability
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
and nothing more
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
Mira
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
opensnounUS /ˈoʊpənz/
plural of “open” — a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
a light shade of red
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
planetnounUS /ˈplænət/
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/
being one more than fifteen
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The girls were even known as “those very clever Vivian girls.”
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
precisely as stated
From this reading The girls were even known as “those very clever Vivian girls.”
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
Vivian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In a country place near a town called Lake View, on the planet Herschel, lived a family of the name of Vivian.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were known all over the country for their hospitality, wealth and their beautiful daughters.
a Caucasian
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
winsomeadjectiveUS /ˈwɪnsəm/
charming in a childlike or naive way
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For generations the name Vivian had been associated with brave deeds, honest lives and intellect.
youngestadjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡəst/
superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Mira, the youngest of the four girls, just sixteen as this story opens, was a bright, winsome girl, tall and graceful, with large hazel eyes, a pink and white complexion, and an abundance of golden hair.
