used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
admiredadjectiveUS /ədˈmaɪərd/
regarded with admiration
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
at or in or to any place
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
for the reason that
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
make calm or still
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
candlesnounUS /ˈkændəlz/
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
carvingsnounUS /ˈkɑːrvɪŋz/
plural of “carving” — a sculpture created by removing material (as wood or ivory or stone) in order to create a desired shape
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
coloursnounUS /ˈkʌlərz/
a distinguishing emblem
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
cornicenoun
a decorative framework to conceal curtain fixtures at the top of a window casing
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
dinedverbUS /daɪnd/
past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
embroideredverbUS /emˈbrɔɪdərd/
past form of “embroider” — decorate with needlework
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
start firing a weapon
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
gleamsnounUS /ɡliːmz/
plural of “gleam” — an appearance of reflected light
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
coins made of gold
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
ten 10s
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
irisesnounUS /ˈaɪrəsɪz/
plural of “iris” — plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It did not seem to him to lie in his.
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading It did not seem to him to lie in his.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone in solitary isolation
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
luxurynounUS /ˈlʌɡʒəri/
something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
engage in
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
mantelpiecenoun
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
MelvillenounUS /ˈmelvɪl/
United States writer of novels and short stories (1819-1891)
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
milliards
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
not any; not one
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
oliveadjectiveUS /ˈɑːləv/
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
and nothing more
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
ownersnounUS /ˈoʊnərz/
plural of “owner” — (law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
panelsnounUS /ˈpænəlz/
plural of “panel” — sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
plushadjectiveUS /plʌʃ/
characterized by extravagance and profusion
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
porphyrynounUS /ˈpɔːrfəri/
any igneous rock with crystals embedded in a finer groundmass of minerals
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
salonnounUS /səˈlɑːn/
gallery where works of art can be displayed
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It did not seem to him to lie in his.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
shutteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃʌtərd/
provided with shutters or shutters as specified; often used in combination
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
telegramsnounUS /ˈteləɡræmz/
plural of “telegram” — a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
veiledadjectiveUS /veɪld/
having or as if having a veil or concealing cover
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
waxverbUS /wæks/
cover with wax
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
which person or people
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The plush curtains, with the lace beneath them, veiled the shuttered windows; outside the night was calm, there was no sound anywhere.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading He sat alone after dinner in the salon which she had admired, with the light of half a hundred wax candles bringing out the golden gleams in the plush, the colours of the embroidered irises, the dead gold of the cornice and panels, while a fire of olive wood glowed under the carvings of the mantelpiece of porphyry.
the words that are spoken
From this reading The words of Melville came back to him as he sat there in the midst of the luxury and of the loneliness: 'To make a home is in the power of any man who is not a priest.'
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He dined alone; a few telegrams would have filled his rooms, but he did not care for society, which he thought only came to him because he was one of the few owners of milliards in Europe.
