adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
boarding-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
breathingnounUS /ˈbriːðɪŋ/
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
broodingnounUS /ˈbruːdɪŋ/
sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
conclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
distempernounUS /dɪˈstempər/
any of various infectious viral diseases of animals
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
dropverbUS /drɑːp/
let fall to the ground
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
FatenounUS /feɪt/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
fireplacenounUS /ˈfaɪərpleɪs/
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/
yet to be or coming
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/
a long fixed look
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/
a young female
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
Gratian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
inclinedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪnd/
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
knittedadjectiveUS /ˈnɪtəd/
made by intertwining threads in a series of connected loops rather than by weaving
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/
a polite name for any woman
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
Lairds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
lipsnounUS /lɪps/
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
lookverbUS /lʊk/
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
moveverbUS /muːv/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/
in motion
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
needlesnounUS /ˈniːdəlz/
plural of “needle” — the leaf of a conifer
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
NoelnounUS /noʊˈel/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/
many times at short intervals
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/
superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
pittedadjectiveUS /ˈpɪtɪd/
pitted with cell-like cavities (as a honeycomb)
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
removedadjectiveUS /riˈmuːvd/
separated in relationship by a given degree of descent
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
screamverbUS /skriːm/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
settingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
sitverbUS /sɪt/
be seated
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/
to a small degree or extent
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
spectaclesnounUS /ˈspektəkəlz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
spideryadjective
relating to or resembling a member of the class Arachnida
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
stopverbUS /stɑːp/
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
stoppingnounUS /ˈstɑːpɪŋ/
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
sunnounUS /sʌn/
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
threwverbUS /θruː/
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
tunenounUS /tuːn/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
undecidedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndɪˈsaɪdɪd/
not brought to a conclusion; subject to further thought
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading And now and again the old lady would look up above her spectacles; move the corners of her lips ever so slightly, and drop her gaze again.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
wallnounUS /wɔːl/
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
warnounUS /wɔːr/
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading She had pitted herself against Fate; so long as she knitted, the war could not stop—such was the conclusion Noel had come to.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
whenceadverbUS /wens/
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading She was a very old lady—the oldest lady in the world, Noel thought—and she knitted without stopping, without breathing, so that the girl felt inclined to scream.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In the evening when George and Gratian were not in, Noel would often sit watching the needles, brooding over her as yet undecided future.
yellowishadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊɪʃ/
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading I In the boarding-house, whence the Lairds had not yet removed, the old lady who knitted, sat by the fireplace, and light from the setting sun threw her shadow on the wall, moving spidery and grey, over the yellowish distemper, in time to the tune of her needles.
