used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
(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 "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Are you quite sure he is Colonel Wilton?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
blushingadjectiveUS /ˈblʌʃɪŋ/
having a red face from embarrassment or shame or agitation or emotional upset
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
browsnounUS /braʊz/
plural of “brow” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
desponding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
dismaynounUS /dɪˈsmeɪ/
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
distrustfuladjectiveUS /dɪˈstrʌstfəl/
having or showing distrust
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
effusiveadjectiveUS /ˈefjuːsɪv/
uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
Ella'snounUS /ˈeləz/
possessive form of “ellas” — a republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan peninsula; known for grapes and olives and olive oil
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Are you quite sure he is Colonel Wilton?"
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
irritationnounUS /ˌɪrɪˈteɪʃən/
the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Are you quite sure he is Colonel Wilton?"
it's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
italicsnounUS /aɪˈtælɪks/
plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
Kershaw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
knittedadjectiveUS /ˈnɪtəd/
made by intertwining threads in a series of connected loops rather than by weaving
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
immediately past
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
nuptialsnounUS /ˈnʌptʃəlz/
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
ominousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːmənəs/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Are you quite sure he is Colonel Wilton?"
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
repliesnounUS /rɪˈplaɪz/
plural of “reply” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
express in words
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Are you quite sure he is Colonel Wilton?"
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
unorthodoxadjectiveUS /əˈnɔːrθədɑːks/
independent in behavior or thought
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
precisely as stated
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, I hope it's all right" (the "hope" in italics), "but it's curious--very curious.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
WiltonnounUS /ˈwɪltən/
a carpet woven on a Jacquard loom with loops like a Brussels carpet but having the loops cut to form a close velvety pile
From this reading Are you quite sure he is Colonel Wilton?"
Wilton's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
in the company of; together with
From this reading She took, upon the whole, a desponding and distrustful view of human nature; and, instead of meeting Ella's smiling, blushing account of Colonel Wilton's visit and her engagement to him, with effusive sympathy, she had nodded her head and knitted her brows, asked a dozen questions, and received the replies in ominous silence; at last spoke as follows:
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading The extremely sudden and unorthodox character of Ella's nuptials was a source of irritation, not to say dismay, to the worthy Mrs. Kershaw.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Are you quite sure he is Colonel Wilton?"
