used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
(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 "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
braidverbUS /breɪd/
make by braiding or interlacing
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
bride'snounUS /braɪdz/
possessive form of “bride” — a woman who has recently been married
From this reading "It's too dark for a bride's travelling-dress," she said after a while.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
buttonsnounUS /ˈbʌtənz/
plural of “button” — a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
Clairville
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
CordovanounUS /ˌkɔːrˈdoʊvə/
Spanish explorer who discovered Yucatan (1475-1526)
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
absence of light or illumination
From this reading "It's too dark for a bride's travelling-dress," she said after a while.
domainnounUS /doʊˈmeɪn/
a particular environment or walk of life
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
put on clothes
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
drumnounUS /drʌm/
a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
DuchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
foldsnounUS /foʊldz/
plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
giltadjectiveUS /ɡɪlt/
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
the act of giving
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
the act of departing
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
heatingnounUS /ˈhiːtɪŋ/
the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
to a considerable degree
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
ironsnounUS /ˈaɪərnz/
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
it's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
without good reason
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
meadownounUS /ˈmedoʊ/
a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
mindedadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪndəd/
(used in combination) mentally oriented toward something specified
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
on one occasion
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
PAULINEadjectiveUS /pɔːˈliːn/
relating to Paul the Apostle or his doctrines
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
compacted by ironing
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
rowsnounUS /roʊz/
plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The Cordova, busy heating an iron on the "drum" which stood in a corner of the room, looked at the skirt and at first said nothing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
a special situation
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
Tra-lanoun
a set of nonsensical syllables used while humming a refrain
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
transformedadjectiveUS /trænˈsfɔːrmd/
given a completely different form or appearance
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
travelling-dress
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's too dark for a bride's travelling-dress," she said after a while.
TROUSSEAUnoun
the personal outfit of a bride; clothes and accessories and linens
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
(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 "I thought at first of giving this old thing away, but see how well it's going to look, after all!"
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Tra-la!" sang Miss Clairville, as she pressed heavily on the folds of a purple cloth skirt which had once done service in the "Grand Duchess," but was now being transformed by hot irons, rows of black braid and gilt buttons into a highly respectable travelling dress.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "It's too dark for a bride's travelling-dress," she said after a while.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading THE TROUSSEAU OF PAULINE "--the whole domain To some, too lightly minded, might appear A meadow carpet for the dancing hours."
