used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
apologizedverbUS /əˈpɑːlədʒaɪzd/
past form of “apologize” — acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing
From this reading So the girls, not being asked, stayed away, and Mrs. Trentham apologized.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
contritionnounUS /kənˈtrɪʃən/
sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
coquettishadjective
like a coquette
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
dineverbUS /daɪn/
have supper; eat dinner
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
dinner-party
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
one or the other of two
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
entertainmentnounUS /ˌentərˈteɪnmənt/
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
a competitor thought likely to win
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
a young female
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
hostessnounUS /ˈhoʊstəs/
a woman host
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
come together
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
the force of workers available
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
not any; not one
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
an organization to gain political power
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
perennialadjectiveUS /pərˈeniəl/
lasting three seasons or more
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
Peter'snounUS /ˈpiːtərz/
possessive form of “peter” — disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
preliminaryadjectiveUS /prɪˈlɪməneri/
denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
professedadjectiveUS /prəˈfest/
professing to be qualified
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
RitznounUS /rɪts/
Swiss hotelier who created a chain of elegant hotels (1850-1918)
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So the girls, not being asked, stayed away, and Mrs. Trentham apologized.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
a person, without saying who
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading So the girls, not being asked, stayed away, and Mrs. Trentham apologized.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
carry out
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
to-night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
Trentham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
which person or people
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His hostess to-night was the perennial Mrs. Trentham, with whom a party of herself and three young men was a favourite form of entertainment.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
wonderfullyadverbUS /ˈwʌndərfəli/
(used as an intensifier) extremely well
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She always professed a coquettish contrition at not having been able to get some girls to meet her young men--which, indeed, she had been quite wonderfully unable to do, since it never occurred to her to take the preliminary step of asking them, and no nice girl would come to dine with Mrs. Trentham without being asked.
yawnedverbUS /jɔːnd/
past form of “yawn” — utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading People always yawned there; they were either waiting for somebody to come, or they were waiting for somebody to go away....
Yawning-place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Peter’s dinner at the Ritz was no dinner-party, and there were but three young men, of whom he was one, and their hostess who assembled in the Yawning-place.
